Copepoda
noun plural
Co·pep·o·da
kō-ˈpep-ə-də
: a class of Crustacea comprising minute aquatic forms abundant in both fresh and salt waters and including some (as of the order Calanoida) that are chiefly free-living and important as fish food and others (as of the order Siphostomatoida) that are parasitic on the skin and gills of fish
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“Copepoda.” Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/Copepoda. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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