GlossaryAll
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aboral |
away from / opposite the mouth. |
| Ambulacrum (pl. ambulacra) |
area of the body that bears tube feet; the central part of an ambulacrum is called the radius. |
| Anal papillae |
radially placed papillae encircling the anus. |
| Anal teeth |
anal papillae that are so heavily calcified that they form hard structures. |
| Anastomosis |
joining of branching structures forming a network |
| Anchor |
ossicle shaped as an anchor |
| Apple |
brand of computer |
| Bohadschia |
genus in Holothuriidae |
| Brachials |
Calcareous ossicle of the arm (excluding the division series) [in Crinoidea] |
| Echinodermata |
One of the best characterized and and most distinct phyla of the animal kingdom. Four unique characters characterize the phylum: (1) the water-vascular system; (2) a pentamerous radial symmetry derived from a original bilaterality, and (3) an endoskeleton composed of separate macroscopic plates or microscopic ossicles; (4) a mutable connective tissue. |
| Eleutherozoa |
Subphylum of the Echinodermata. Comprises the Holothuroidea, Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea and Echinoidea. |
| Endoskeleton |
Skeleton formed in the dermis. It may consist of plates forming a shell (usually called a theca or test) or may be composed of small separate pieces called ossicles. |
| Interradius (pl. interradii) |
Area of the surface between ambulacra. (also called interambulacrum) |
| Madreporite |
Multi-perforated plate leading down to the stone canal and then to the ring canal. In holothuroids the stone canal and madreporite are inside the body cavity. In asteroids and echinoids the madreporite opens externally on the dorsal side of the body. In ophiuroids the madreporite opens ventrally. Crinoids lack a madreporite. |
| Mutable connective tissue |
Connective tissue of echinoderms; responsible for the swift changes in rigidity. |
