Copepoda
noun plural
Co·pep·o·da
kō-ˈpep-ə-də 
: a subclass of Crustacea comprising minute aquatic forms abundant in both fresh and salt waters and including one order (Eucopepoda) whose members are chiefly free-living and important as fish food and another order (Branchiura) whose members 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 4 May. 2025.
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