siphonostomata

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In Crustacea:
2. n. In Latreille's classification, the second family of his Pæcilopoda, divided into Caligides and Lernæiformes, the former of which is approximately equivalent to the modern order Siphonostomata, the latter to the Lernseoidea. All are parasitic crustaceans.
3. n. An order of epizoic or parasitic crustaceans, having the thorax segmented, several pairs of limbs, three pairs of maxillipeds, and antennæ. It corresponds to the Caligides of Latreille. There are several families of these fish-lice. Also called Siphonostoma.
4. n. In Mollusca, a division of prosobranchiate gastropods, having the lip of the shell notched, canaliculate, or tubular, for the protrusion of a respiratory siphon: contrasted with Holostomata. This formation of the shell is correlated with the development of the siphon (see Siphono-branckiata, Siphonochlamyda). In De Blainville's classification the Siphonostomata were one of three families into which he divided his Siphonobranchiata, contrasted with Entomostomata and Angiostomata, and included numerous genera of several modern families, as Pleurotomidæ, Turbinellidæ, Columbellidæ, Muricidæ, and others. All these gastropods are marine, and most are carnivorous.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A tribe of parasitic copepod Crustacea including a large number of species that are parasites of fishes, as the lerneans. They have a mouth adapted to suck blood.
2. n. An artificial division of gastropods including those that have siphonostomatous shells.