opisthobranchia

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Word: Opisthobranchia

Part of speech: Noun

Definition: "Opisthobranchia" refers to a group of sea creatures that are a type of gastropod (which is a class of animals that includes snails and slugs). These creatures usually have their gills located behind their hearts and do not have a protective shell (called an operculum). This group includes animals like sea slugs, sea butterflies, and sea hares.

Usage Instructions:

• You would typically use "opisthobranchia" when discussing marine biology or the study of sea creatures. It is a scientific term, so it is not commonly used in everyday conversation.

Example Sentence:

• "The marine biologist studied different species of opisthobranchia to understand their unique adaptations to the ocean environment."

Advanced Usage:

• In scientific texts or discussions, you might find more detailed classifications of opisthobranchia, discussing their evolutionary traits or ecological roles in marine ecosystems.

Word Variants:

• Opisthobranch: This is a shorter form of the word that can also be used as a noun to refer to an individual member of this group.
• Opisthobranchiate: An adjective form that describes characteristics related to the opisthobranchia.

Different Meanings:

• In general, "opisthobranchia" is specifically related to marine biology. There are no other common meanings for this term outside of its scientific context.

Synonyms:

• There are no direct synonyms for "opisthobranchia" as it is a specific scientific term. However, you might refer to the creatures within this group by their common names, such as "sea slugs" or "nudibranchs" (which is a more specific term for some types of opisthobranchs).

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "opisthobranchia," as it is a specialized term used in scientific contexts.

Academic

Noun

1. gastropods having the gills when present posterior to the heart and having no operculum: includes sea slugs; sea butterflies; sea hares

Synonyms

• Opisthobranchia
• subclass Opisthobranchia