noun
- The larval stage of a lamprey, characterized by a small, eel-like body and a circular mouth without teeth.
Usage: zoology; plural form; singular is 'ammocete'; technical/scientific term
Examples
- Ammocetes spend several years buried in stream sediment before transforming into adult lampreys.
- The ammocetes filter-feed on organic particles in freshwater environments.
- Researchers collected ammocetes from the river to study lamprey development.
- Unlike adult lampreys, ammocetes lack the distinctive circular mouth.
- The ammocetes stage can last from three to seven years depending on the species.