Petromyzonidae (order)
- Scope note
- Order containing 22 species of primitive, eel-like, jawless vertebrates that are scaleless, have a funnel-like toothed sucking mouth, no paired fins, large eyes, one nostril on the top of the head, and seven gills on each side. The animals begin life as burrowing freshwater larvae (ammocoetes), which are toothless, have rudimentary eyes, and feed on microorganisms; they transform into adults via a metamorphosis that is as radical as that seen in amphibians.
- Date of creation: 18-Nov-2024
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024