malacodermata

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The sea-anemones as an order of zoantharian Actinozoa. They are so called from their softness, corallum being absent or represented only by a few spicules which do not form a hard crust. These polyps are usually of large size, and individual, rarely being aggregated into a polypidom. The tentacles are numerous, simple, not pinnately fringed, not in groups of eight, and often in several series; they sometimes number about 500, developed in multiples of six. Some of these animals, as Ilyanthidœ, are free-swimming, but most of them are sessile, adherent to rocks, etc., by a fleshy base, but able to creep about to some extent. The Zoanthidæ are aggregated by a common creeping-stem or stolon.
2. n. In entomology, a division of serricorn pentamerous Coleoptera, corresponding to Latreille's Malacodermi.
3. n. In herpetology, the naked reptiles, or amphibians: distinguished from Sclerodermata. Also Malacoderma.