A very small worm or eel-like creature, often used interchangeably with 'anguillula' to refer to microscopic parasitic worms.
From Latin 'anguilla' (eel) plus the diminutive suffix '-ule' meaning small. This is an alternative form of 'anguillula,' and both terms were used in early parasitology and microbiology to describe these tiny creatures.
The choice between 'anguillule' and 'anguillula' is an example of how scientific language evolves—different researchers used slightly different diminutive suffixes from Latin, and both forms stuck around in the scientific literature.
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