Marine Life Terms

noun a type of shellfish with two hinged shells

verb to gather or dig for clams

• The scientist studied the anatomy of the clam to understand its biological functions.
• I love going to the beach and digging for clams to cook for dinner.
• Let's hit up that clam shack for some fresh seafood.
• She remained as closed as a clam about her personal life.

noun a form of an insect or other invertebrate that hatches from an egg and undergoes metamorphosis

• The larva of the butterfly eventually transforms into a pupa before emerging as an adult.
• Have you ever seen a larva up close? They're pretty fascinating creatures.
• Ew, there's a larva crawling on that leaf!
• The idea for the new product was just a larva in the CEO's mind before it became a reality.

noun a segment or part of the body that is actinal

adjective describing or relating to the actin

• The -actinal side of the sea star is the part that faces downwards.
• The bottom side of the sea star is called the -actinal side.
• The underbelly of the sea star is known as the -actinal part.
• Just like the -actinal side of the sea star, sometimes we have to face our own vulnerabilities head-on.