A phylum of microscopic, aquatic animals with hair-like structures on their bellies used for movement and feeding.
From Greek 'gastro-' (stomach or belly) + 'tricha' (hairs, plural of 'thrix'). The phylum name refers to the distinctive cilia covering the ventral surface of these tiny organisms.
Gastrotrichs might be microscopic, but they're found in almost every drop of saltwater and freshwater on Earth—they're an ancient lineage that's been wriggling around our planet for hundreds of millions of years!
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