In some crustaceans and other organisms, a mouth-like opening or structure associated with or located near the carpus region.
From Greek 'karpos' (wrist) + 'stoma' (mouth). This zoological term developed in 19th-century taxonomy to describe feeding structures in arthropods.
Evolution created weird hybrid body parts in crustaceans—a carpostome shows how specialized structures sometimes combine functions, making each animal's anatomy a solution to its particular survival challenges.
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