noun
- Small marine arthropods with long, slender legs and a tiny body, belonging to the class Pycnogonida; sea spiders.
Usage: plural form; zoology; marine biology
Examples
- Pycnogonids are found in oceans worldwide, from shallow tide pools to the deep sea.
- The researcher collected several pycnogonids from the rocky shore for her study.
- Despite their spider-like appearance, pycnogonids are not true spiders.
- Many pycnogonids feed on soft-bodied marine organisms like sea anemones and hydroids.
- The long legs of pycnogonids can span several inches, though their bodies are tiny.