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aboral |
| on a two-sided invertebrate, the surface opposite the mouth |
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algae — (s. alga) |
| simple aquatic plants. Unlike other plants, algae have no roots, leaves, or stems. |
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calcareous |
| containing calcium carbonate (a compound of calcium) |
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chelipeds |
| a clawed thoracic appendage found in decapod crustaceans |
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chitin (KI-t'n) |
| a hard substance in the external skeleton of arthropods |
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class |
| a division of animal or plant classification. A class is a subdivision of a phylum. |
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crustacean |
| an arthropod of the class Crustacea, including mostly aquatic forms such as lobsters, crabs, shrimps, and barnacles |
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detritus (de-TRI-tus) |
| tiny pieces of dead and decomposing plants and animals |
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dorsal |
| pertaining to the back or top surface of the body |
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ecosystem |
| a unit of plants, animals, and non-living components of an environment that interact |
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environment |
| one's surroundings |
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evagination |
| the acts of pushing out, as when sea stars evert their stomachs during feeding |
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intertidal zone |
| the shoreline area within the tidal range |
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invertebrate |
| any animal that lacks a spinal column |
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gamete |
| a male or female reproductive cell |
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kelp |
| large brown marine algae, including giant kelp |
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marine |
| related to the seas or oceans |
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oral |
| of or pertaining to the mouth |
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order |
| a division of animal or plant classification. An order is a subdivision of a class |
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papulae |
| the tiny external respiratory organs of sea stars |
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parasite |
| an organism that lives in or on, and feeds on, a host organism, harming the host |
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pedicellariae |
| tiny, pincherlike projections found on the dorsal surfaces of some sea stars |
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phylum — (pl. Phyla) |
| a division of animal or plant classification. A phylum is a subdivision of a kingdom. |
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piling |
| a column made of wood, steel, or concrete that holds up a dock, wharf, or pier |
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plankton |
| free-floating, microscopic plants and animals |
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predator |
| an animal that eats another animal |
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prey |
| an animal eaten by another animal |
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radula |
| a ribbonlike structure bearing rows of teeth found in the "mouths" of many molluscs. The molluscs use their radula for rasping and scraping. |
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substrate |
| the surface upon which an organism lives |
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sessile |
| attached to the bottom or another hard substrate |
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territorial |
| establishing and defending a particular territory |
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telson |
| the last segment of the thorax of an arthropod or an extension of the last segment such as a scorpion's stinger or a lobster's tail fan |
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tidal range |
| the difference between the highest and lowest tides |
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tide |
| the rise and fall of the sea level along the coasts, caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon |
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uropods |
| in some crustaceans, a flattened pair of appendages at the posterior end of the abdominal section |
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ventral |
| pertaining to the underside or bottom surface |