copepod

[ koh-puh-pod ]

noun

1. any of numerous tiny marine or freshwater crustaceans of the order (or subclass) Copepoda, lacking compound eyes or a carapace and usually having six pairs of limbs on the thorax, some abundant in plankton and others parasitic on fish.

copepod

/ ˈkəʊpɪˌpɒd /

noun

1. any minute free-living or parasitic crustacean of the subclass Copepoda of marine and fresh waters: an important constituent of plankton

adjective

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

copepod

/ kō′pə-pŏd′ /

1. Any of various very small crustaceans of the subclass Copepoda, having an elongated body and a forked tail. Unlike most crustaceans, copepods lack a carapace over the back and do not have compound eyes. They are abundant in both salt and fresh water, and are an important food source for many water animals. Copepods include the water fleas.

Word History and Origins

Origin of copepod¹

1830–40; < New Latin Copepoda name of the order < Greek kṓpē a handle, oar + -poda -poda

Word History and Origins

Origin of copepod¹

C19: from New Latin Copepoda, from Greek kōpē oar + pous foot

Example Sentences

North Pacific right whales are baleen whales, which feed by straining huge volumes of ocean water through their comb-like baleen plates that trap copepods and other zooplankton.

From Seattle Times

They’re carnivorous creatures that use stinging tentacles hanging below the surface to catch prey such as copepods, fish eggs, larval fish and smaller plankton.

From Los Angeles Times

She found that in these nodules, typically 10 to 15 individuals, but sometimes even more than 200 individuals of nematodes, copepods and other animals can be found.

From Science Daily

The scientists plumbed the depths off Central America’s Pacific coast to study species ranging from symbiotic bacteria in deep-sea clams to the temperature limits of tiny copepod crustaceans.

From Scientific American

Yet even in this extreme environment, tiny crustaceans called tidepool copepods thrive.

From National Geographic