rotifer
invertebrate
Also known as: Rotifera, wheel animalcule
rotifer, any of the approximately 2,000 species of microscopic, aquatic invertebrates that constitute the phylum Rotifera. Rotifers are so named because the circular arrangement of moving cilia (tiny hairlike structures) at the front end resembles a rotating wheel. Although common in freshwater on all continents, some species occur in salt water or brackish water, whereas others live in damp moss or lichens. Most are free-living; some are parasitic. Most live as individuals, but a few...
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