Pteropoda

plural noun

Pte·​rop·​o·​da

təˈräpədə,

teˈr-

: a division of Tectibranchia formerly ranked as a separate class of Mollusca comprising small hermaphroditic gastropod mollusks having the anterior lobes of the foot developed in the form of broad thin winglike organs with which they swim at or near the surface of the sea, usually lacking gills, and frequently lacking a shell

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from pter- + -poda

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