amphipod

[am-fuh-pod]

noun

1. any of numerous small, flat-bodied crustaceans of the group Amphipoda, including the beach fleas, sand hoppers, etc.

adjective

1. of or relating to the amphipods.

amphipod

/ ˈæmfɪˌpɒd /

noun

1. any marine or freshwater crustacean of the order Amphipoda, such as the sand hoppers, in which the body is laterally compressed: subclass Malacostraca

adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Amphipoda

Word History and Origins

Origin of amphipod¹

1825–35; < New Latin Amphipoda; amphi-, -pod

Example Sentences

Declining prey, including tiny shrimp-like amphipods, in the whales’ summer feeding grounds in the Arctic probably caused by warming water are thought to be a major contributor to their starvation deaths and reduced birth rates.

From Los Angeles Times

“Often they feed by diving to the bottom and sifting big gulps of sediment through their baleen, consuming the amphipods in great numbers,” Milstein said.

From Los Angeles Times

The whale will naturally decompose, creating a “huge nutrient boost for the local environment,” feeding scavengers like eagles and ravens, down to little amphipods, Boothe said.

From Seattle Times

"We found a large number of jellyfish in the stomachs of the amphipods, from the largest jellyfish in the fjord to tiny hydrozoans," explains Charlotte Havermans.

From Science Daily

Osborn wants to find out why so many highly specialized eyes have evolved among twilight zone amphipods.

From National Geographic