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tunicatamore about tunicata

tunicata


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Tunicata  \Tu`ni*ca"ta\,  n.  pl  [NL.  See  {Tunicate}.]  (Zo["o]l.) 
  A  grand  division  of  the  animal  kingdom,  intermediate,  in  some 
  respects,  between  the  invertebrates  and  vertebrates,  and  by 
  some  writers  united  with  the  latter.  They  were  formerly 
  classed  with  acephalous  mollusks.  The  body  is  usually  covered 
  with  a  firm  external  tunic,  consisting  in  part  of  cellulose, 
  and  having  two  openings,  one  for  the  entrance  and  one  for  the 
  exit  of  water.  The  pharynx  is  usually  dilated  in  the  form  of 
  a  sac,  pierced  by  several  series  of  ciliated  slits,  and 
  serves  as  a  gill. 
 
  Note:  Most  of  the  species  when  mature  are  firmly  attached  to 
  foreign  substances,  but  have  free-swimming  larv[ae] 
  which  are  furnished  with  an  elongated  tail  and  somewhat 
  resemble  a  tadpole.  In  this  state  the  larva  has  a 
  urochord  and  certain  other  structures  resembling  some 
  embryonic  vertebrates.  See  {Ascidian},  {Doliolum}, 
  {Salpa},  {Urochord},  and  Illust.  of  {Social  ascidian}, 
  under  {Social}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  Tunicata 
  n  :  tunicates  [syn:  {Urochordata},  {subphylum  Urochordata},  {Urochorda}, 
  {subphylum  Urochorda},  {Tunicata},  {subphylum  Tunicata}] 




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