Coelenterate

/ˈsiˌlɛntəˈreɪt/

IPA guide

Other forms: coelenterates

Definitions of coelenterate

noun
radially symmetrical animals having saclike bodies with only one opening and tentacles with stinging structures; they occur in polyp and medusa forms

synonyms: cnidarian

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types:
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polyp
one of two forms that coelenterates take (e.g. a hydra or coral): usually sedentary with a hollow cylindrical body usually with a ring of tentacles around the mouth

medusa, medusan, medusoid
one of two forms that coelenterates take: it is the free-swimming sexual phase in the life cycle of a coelenterate; in this phase it has a gelatinous umbrella-shaped body and tentacles

jellyfish
any of numerous usually marine and free-swimming coelenterates that constitute the sexually reproductive forms of hydrozoans and scyphozoans

scyphozoan
any of various usually free-swimming marine coelenterates having a gelatinous medusoid stage as the dominant phase of its life cycle

hydroid, hydrozoan
colonial coelenterates having the polyp phase dominant

actinozoan, anthozoan
sessile marine coelenterates including solitary and colonial polyps; the medusoid phase is entirely suppressed

planula
the flat ciliated free-swimming larva of hydrozoan coelenterates

Aegina
small medusa

Chrysaora quinquecirrha
a type of jellyfish

hydra
small tubular solitary freshwater hydrozoan polyp

siphonophore
a floating or swimming oceanic colony of polyps often transparent or showily colored

sertularian
feathery colony of long-branched stems bearing stalkless paired polyps

anemone, sea anemone
marine polyps that resemble flowers but have oral rings of tentacles; differ from corals in forming no hard skeleton

sea pen
fleshy featherlike warm-water colonies

coral
marine colonial polyp characterized by a calcareous skeleton; masses in a variety of shapes often forming reefs

type of:
invertebrate
any animal lacking a backbone or notochord; the term is not used as a scientific classification

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