ascidian
- noun
- /əˈsɪdiən/
- Specialized
:
ascidía
- Clockwise from top, an onychophoran, a polychaete, an ascidian, and an echinoderm.
Examples
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The two pink blobs above are separate colonies of ascidians.
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Ascidians, such as the ones above, come in a variety of colors and can be colonial or solitary.
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Though sponges and ascidians look alike, they can be told apart by the absence or presence of oscules (the 'holes' of a sponge through which water is pumped).
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An ascidian is a small marine animal that filters water through its siphons.
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Researchers studied the behavior of ascidians to understand their role in the ecosystem.
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The colorful ascidians attached to the rocks create a unique underwater landscape.
Compounds
- Specialized
A free-swimming baby sea animal that looks like a tadpole and has a stiff rod in its tail
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word ascidian comes from the Greek word askidion, meaning 'little bag', and from askos which means 'bag'. So an ascidian is a small sea animal with a body like a little bag and two tubes that let water in and out.
