‖ Ctenophora, n. pl. Zool.
(tiːˈnɒfərə)
[mod.L., neuter pl. (sc. animalia) of ctenophorus, a. Gr. type *κτενοϕορος, f. κτενο- comb + -ϕορος bearing.]
A division of animals, formerly considered as an order of Acalepha, and now made a class of the Cœlenterata.
The present view is that they are highly specialized derivatives of the Hydromedusæ. They are marine animals of pellucid gelatinous substance and more or less spheroidal shape, swimming freely in the sea by means of peculiar fringed or ciliated locomotive organs (ctenophores), and having a localized sense-organ (ctenocyst). Among the best known genera are Beroe and Cydippe.
| 1855 Gosse Marine Zool. 41. 1878 Bell Gegenbauer's Comp. Anat. 100. 1888 Rolleston & Jackson Anim. Life 721 The Ctenophora are transparent, pelagic, and are widely distributed. |
Hence cteˈnophoral a., of or pertaining to the Ctenophora, or to their characteristic locomotive organs, or parts in connexion with them. cteˈnophoran a., of or belonging to the class Ctenophora; n. a member of this class. ˈctenophore (ˈtiːnəʊfɔə(r)), (a) each of the eight meridionally arranged bands or rows of plates, bearing fringes like the teeth of a comb, which constitute the locomotive organs of the Ctenophora; (b) a member of the Ctenophora, a Ctenophoran. ctenoˈphoric, cteˈnophorous a. = ctenophoral.
| 1861 J. R. Greene Man. Anim. Kingd., Cœlent. 169 Along the opposite sides of each ctenophoral canal. 1888 Rolleston & Jackson Anim. Life 721 All movement [in Ctenophora] is carried out by the ctenophoral plates. 1877 Huxley Anat. Invert. iii. 173 The essential peculiarities of a Ctenophoran. 1888 Rolleston & Jackson Anim. Life 578 note, The Ctenophoran characters of certain Polyclad Turbellaria. 1882 Syd. Soc. Lex., Ctenophore. 1884 tr. Claus' Zool. I. 211 The Ctenophor type has fundamentally the form of a sphere. 1889 Athenæum 27 July 133/2 No figures are given of alcyonarians, ctenophores, [or of] any echinoderm save the star-fish. 1883 Century Mag. Sept. 734/1 Observations on the ctenophoric jelly-fishes. |