A phylum of extremely small, enigmatic parasitic organisms found exclusively inside cephalopods, with a complex and unusual life cycle.
From 'dicyema' + '-ida' (Latin phylum-level suffix). Dicyemida was established as a formal taxonomic rank for these bizarre organisms that don't fit typical animal classification.
Scientists debated for decades whether dicyemids were animals or parasitic plants—they're so different that we're still uncovering secrets about how they work!
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