An organism or taxonomic group characterized by having a lip-shaped mouth or opening, particularly in mollusks and other marine animals.
From Greek cheilos (lip) and stoma (mouth), formed as a singular noun. Used in zoological classification as a descriptive name for creatures with distinctive mouth structures.
Chilostomes represent a perfect example of how scientific names literally describe what makes a creature special—if you know Greek, you can decode thousands of biological terms just by recognizing these root combinations!
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