A genus of small colonial sea animals that form grape-like clusters and filter food from ocean water.
From Greek botryos (bunch of grapes) + Modern Latin -us. Named for the creature's appearance, this term entered scientific literature in the 18th century as naturalists observed these animals under early microscopes.
Botryllus are one of the few animals that can completely dissolve and rebuild their blood vessels, essentially giving themselves a biological reset—and all thanks to scientists who named them well enough for us to keep finding new things about them.
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