Definition
ostracod
noun
- A small crustacean with a bivalve shell, found in marine and freshwater environments.
Usage: Also called seed shrimp.; Primarily used in scientific and educational contexts.
Examples
- Ostracods are among the most abundant crustaceans in aquatic ecosystems.
- The fossil record of ostracods extends back hundreds of millions of years.
- Marine biologists collected ostracod samples from the ocean floor.
- Ostracods play an important role in freshwater food webs.
- The shell of an ostracod resembles a tiny clam.