noun
- a free-swimming larval stage of certain mollusks, characterized by a ciliated swimming organ called a velum
Usage: biology; zoology
Examples
- The veliger larvae drift in the ocean currents for several weeks before settling.
- Marine biologists study veliger development to understand mollusk reproduction.
- The veliger stage is crucial for the dispersal of many marine snail species.
- Under the microscope, the veliger’s ciliated velum was clearly visible.
- Oyster farmers monitor veliger populations to predict future harvests.
- The veliger eventually metamorphoses into a juvenile mollusk.