daphnia

daph·ni·a  (dfn-)

n. pl. daphnia

Any of various water fleas of the genus Daphnia, some species of which are commonly used as food for aquarium fish.

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[New Latin Daphnia, genus name, from Greek Daphn, Daphne.]

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daphnia [ˈdæfnɪə]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any water flea of the genus Daphnia, having a rounded body enclosed in a transparent shell and bearing branched swimming antennae

[from New Latin, probably from Daphne]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

daphnia - minute freshwater crustacean having a round body enclosed in a transparent shell; moves about like a flea by means of hairy branched antennae water flea branchiopod, branchiopod crustacean, branchiopodan - aquatic crustaceans typically having a carapace and many pairs of leaflike appendages used for swimming as well as respiration and feeding genus Daphnia - water fleas