nematopoda

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. De Blainville's name (1825) of the cirripeds, as the first class of his Malentozoaria, contrasted with a second class Polyplaxiphora, containing the chitons: so called from the thready legs of barnacles or acorn-shells. The Nematopoda were divided into two families, Lepadicea and Balanidea. See cuts under Lepadidæ and Balanus.