Holothuridea

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Holothurioidea \Hol`o*thu`ri*oi"de*a\, n. pl. [NL. See
     {Holothure}, and {-oid}.] (Zool.)
     One of the classes of echinoderms.
  
     Note: They have a more or less elongated body, often
           flattened beneath, and a circle of tentacles, which are


           usually much branched, surrounding the mouth; the skin
           is more or less flexible, and usually contains
           calcareous plates of various characteristic forms,
           sometimes becoming large and scalelike. Most of the
           species have five bands (ambulacra) of sucker-bearing
           feet along the sides; in others these are lacking. In
           one group (Pneumonophora) two branching internal gills
           are developed; in another (Apneumona) these are
           wanting. Called also {Holothurida}, {Holothuridea}, and
           {Holothuroidea}.
           [1913 Webster]