Acontias

/əˈkɒnʃəz/ noun

Definition

Plural of acontia; multiple thread-like defensive or feeding structures found in sea anemones and coral polyps.

Etymology

Plural form of acontia, using the standard English plural suffix -s applied to the Latin-derived term.

Kelly Says

Aquarists studying anemones discovered that acontias move independently within the animal's body—it's like the anemone is carrying a bag of invisible spears it can deploy on demand.

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