A phylum of tiny worm-like animals (usually microscopic) with bristles on their belly side, found in marine and freshwater environments.
From Greek 'gaster' (belly) + 'trichos' (hair). Named for the distinctive hair-like cilia on the ventral (belly) surface these organisms use for movement.
Gastrotrichs are among the most abundant animals on Earth—there can be thousands in a single handful of sediment at the bottom of oceans and lakes—yet almost nobody knows they exist!
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