noun
- the first larval stage of many crustaceans, characterized by three pairs of appendages and a single eye
Usage: biology; zoology
Examples
- The nauplius larva swims freely in the water column using its three pairs of appendages.
- Barnacle nauplii eventually settle on hard surfaces and metamorphose into adults.
- Marine biologists collected nauplius larvae from the plankton samples.
- The nauplius stage is crucial for the dispersal of many crustacean species.
- Under the microscope, the nauplius appeared as a tiny oval organism with distinctive swimming appendages.
- Copepod nauplii are an important food source for many marine animals.