suctorian

[suhk-tawr-ee-uhn, -tohr-]

noun

1. a suctorial animal.

2. a protozoan of the class or order Suctoria, which live, as adults, attached by a stalk to the substrate and feed by means of long, suctorial tentacles.

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the Suctoria.

Word History and Origins

Origin of suctorian¹

1835–45; < New Latin Suctori ( a ), noun use of neuter plural of sūctōrius sucking (< Latin sūg ( ere ) to suck + -tōrius -tory ¹ ) + -an

Example Sentences

The single specimen that I found looked much like a Suctorian of the genus Sphærophrya, but the absence of a firm cuticle and the presence of food-taking pseudopodia with granule-streaming makes it a very questionable Suctorian, and 1 place it here until further study throws more light upon it.

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