1. Relating to or denoting a type of coelom (body cavity) formation in which the coelom develops from outpouchings of the endoderm, particularly the archenteron, as occurs in echinoderms and some other organisms.
Usage: biology; zoology; technical

Examples

• Echinoderms are characterized by enterocoelous development, where the coelom arises from the gut.
• In enterocoelous organisms, the body cavity forms through a different mechanism than in schizocoelous animals.
• The enterocoelous method of coelom formation is considered more primitive in evolutionary terms.
• Larval development in enterocoelous species involves the budding of coelomic pouches from the archenteron.