Cyclostomatidae

/ˌsaɪ.kloʊ.stoʊ.məˈtaɪ.diː/ noun

Definition

A family of small terrestrial and freshwater snails characterized by their round shell apertures and operculum, a door-like structure that seals the shell.

Etymology

From Cyclostoma + Latin '-idae,' the standard zoological suffix for naming families of animals, indicating all organisms sharing the round-mouth characteristic.

Kelly Says

The '-idae' suffix became the universal family-naming convention in zoology—if you see an animal family ending in '-idae,' you instantly know it's a Latin scientific name with centuries of tradition behind it.

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