ambulacrum
- noun
- /ˌæmbjʊˈleɪkrəm/
- Specialized
- The starfish extends its tube feet along each ambulacrum to move across the sea floor.
Examples
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Scientists observed regeneration occurring first in a single ambulacrum before spreading to adjacent areas.
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The ambulacrum of the sea star is covered in tiny tube feet.
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Damage to the ambulacrum can impair the movement and feeding abilities of a sea urchin.
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Each ambulacrum helps the echinoderm move across the ocean floor.
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The starfish extends its tube feet along each ambulacrum to move across the sea floor.
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Damage to the ambulacrum can impair the movement and feeding abilities of a sea urchin.
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Each ambulacrum helps the echinoderm move across the ocean floor.
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ambulacrum comes from the Latin ambulare, meaning 'to walk', and it originally meant a 'place for walking'. The same root appears in English words like amble and ambulance, so an ambulacrum is literally a 'walking' area on the underside of a sea star or sea urchin where the tube feet help it move.
