hexactinellid
|hex-ac-tin-el-lid|
/ˌhɛk.sæk.tɪˈnɛl.ɪd/
glass sponge with six-rayed spicules
Etymology
'hexactinellid' originates from New Latin, specifically the taxonomic name 'Hexactinellida,' built from Greek 'hexa-' meaning 'six' and 'aktis/aktin-' meaning 'ray,' referring to the six-rayed spicules.
'Hexactinellida' (New Latin class name) yielded the English adjective and noun 'hexactinellid,' which came to denote members of and things relating to that class in modern English.
Initially, the term referred to the presence of six-rayed spicules; it broadened to mean the entire group of glass sponges and their characteristics.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a sponge of the class Hexactinellida; a glass sponge characterized by six-rayed siliceous spicules and a mostly syncytial body structure.
The deep-sea reef was dominated by hexactinellid colonies.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to or characteristic of the class Hexactinellida (glass sponges).
Hexactinellid skeletons are composed of silica.
Last updated: 2025/08/11 21:55