anostraca
|a-nos-tra-ca|
🇺🇸
/əˈnɑːstrəkə/
🇬🇧
/əˈnɒstrəkə/
shell-less small freshwater shrimp group
Etymology
'anostraca' originates from New Latin, ultimately from Greek 'anostrakon', where 'an-' meant 'without' and 'ostrakon' meant 'shell' (or 'shell-like plate').
'anostraca' derived from the Greek word 'anostrakon' and passed into New Latin/modern taxonomic usage as 'Anostraca', becoming the standard name for the order of fairy shrimp in scientific classification.
Initially it referred to 'without a shell' (describing the lack of a bivalved carapace); over time it came to denote specifically the taxonomic group (the order of fairy shrimp).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a taxonomic order (Anostraca) of small, mostly freshwater branchiopod crustaceans commonly called fairy shrimp; characterized by the absence of a bivalved carapace.
Anostraca are often found in temporary freshwater pools and vernal ponds.
Synonyms
Noun 2
members of the order Anostraca considered collectively (the small swimming crustaceans themselves).
Researchers studied the life cycles of several anostraca from seasonal ponds.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/19 11:37