cephalochordate
/ˌsɛfəloʊˈkɔːrdeɪt/
noun
- A small, fish-like marine animal that has a simple backbone-like structure but no true backbone or skull, such as a lancelet.
- In biology class, we dissected a cephalochordate to see its simple nerve cord.
- Cephalochordates live buried in the sand of shallow ocean waters.
- The cephalochordate is often studied by scientists to understand the evolution of vertebrates.