scyphistoma

American  

[sahy-fis-tuh-muh] / saɪˈfɪs tə mə /

noun

scyphistomae, plural scyphistomas plural

1. a stage in the life cycle of a jellyfish or other scyphozoan when it is fixed in place and reproduces asexually to produce free-swimming medusas.

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scyphistoma British  

/ saɪˈfɪstəmə /

noun

1. a sessile hydra-like individual representing the polyp stage of scyphozoans. It produces forms which become free-swimming jellyfish

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• scyphistomae
  plural
• scyphistomas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scyphistoma

First recorded in 1870–75; scyphi- ( def. ) + stoma ( def. )

Example Sentences

Planula larvae are formed by external fertilization; they settle on a substratum in a polypoid form known as scyphistoma.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

Strobila, stro-bī′la, n. a discomedusan at the stage succeeding the scyphistoma: a segmented tapeworm.—adj.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various