Coelenterate (Noun)
Meaning
Radially symmetrical animals having saclike bodies with only one opening and tentacles with stinging structures; they occur in polyp and medusa forms.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Coelenterates have simple body structures with stinging tentacles for catching prey.
- A coral is an example of a coelenterate in the polyp form, permanently attached to one location.
- Some species of coelenterates exhibit a transformation from a sessile polyp to a free-swimming medusa form as part of their life cycle.
- Marine biologists categorize coelenterates into four classes, with medusae belonging to two distinct groups and polyps in two other distinct groups.
- These aquatic animals like sea anemones, corals, jellyfish are indeed the simple members known as coelenterates, although modern terms more accurately place the mentioned marine creatures as either a type of Cnidarian, within their large coelenterate, that subphylum 'coelenterata'.