Anthoathecata
|an-tho-a-the-ca-ta|
🇺🇸
/ˌænθoʊəˈθɛkətə/
🇬🇧
/ˌænθəʊəˈθɛkətə/
athecate hydrozoans
Etymology
'Anthoathecata' originates from New Latin, formed by combining Greek 'anthos' meaning 'flower' (used in zoological names) with Neo-Latin 'Athecata' (from Greek a- 'without' + 'theke' 'case' or 'sheath'), indicating organisms without a theca.
'Anthoathecata' was coined in modern taxonomic usage to denote the athecate hydroids; older classifications used the term 'Athecata' or treated similar groups under different ranks, and later treatments stabilized the name 'Anthoathecata' for this order-level grouping.
Initially the components evoked 'flower' + 'without a sheath' as form-based elements, but over time the combined term came to refer specifically to this taxonomic group of athecate hydrozoans rather than a literal 'flower without a sheath.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an order of hydrozoan cnidarians (class Hydrozoa) commonly called athecate hydroids; members typically lack a protective theca around their polyps and the group is often divided into the clades/suborders Capitata and Filifera.
Anthoathecata contains a variety of athecate hydroids found in marine environments worldwide.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/08 21:09