Amphioxus

1 9.9

A small fish-like sea animal with a simple body and no backbone

noun
/æmˈfiːoʊkəs/

Specialized

: anfioxo

For example, in the protochordate amphioxus, Dll is expressed in the epidermis and the central nervous system.

Examples

This is because even invertebrates that are clearly related to us—such as the fish-like amphioxus—appear to have no similar brain structures, nothing that points to a shared evolutionary past.

Blog text (10)
The small marine animal known as amphioxus has a shape similar to a lance and plays a key role in studying chordate evolution.
Researchers are studying amphioxus to understand the basic developmental processes that occur in vertebrates.
In the aquatic ecosystem, the amphioxus plays an important role by filtering water and serving as a food source for various predators.

Surface Forms

Amphioxus singular

Amphioxi plural

Etymology

Amphioxus gets its name from Greek parts amphi- meaning 'both' and oxus meaning 'sharp', so it means 'sharp at both ends' and describes the animal's long, lance-like body that is pointed at both ends.