Plural of ascellus; small crustaceans, particularly aquatic pill bugs or water lice, small segmented animals related to shrimp and crabs.
From Latin 'ascellus,' a diminutive form possibly related to 'ascella.' The term was used by early naturalists to describe these tiny freshwater creatures observed in water environments.
These tiny crustaceans are aquatic cousins of pillbugs—they breathe through gills and can survive in oxygen-poor waters by having specially adapted respiratory systems that make them indicators of water quality.
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