Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In botany: The disk-like apex of the columella of Polytricheæ, which extends over the mouth of the capsule below the operculum.
- noun A delicate membrane closing the cup-like receptacle of the Nidulariacei.
- noun In conchology, the plate of hardened mucus secreted by a gastropod, as a snail, to plug up or seal the opening of the shell during hibernation; a sort of temporary or false operculum, sometimes hardened by calcareous deposit. See
clausilium .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) A membranaceous or calcareous septum with which some mollusks close the aperture of the shell during the time of hibernation, or estivation.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A dry layer of
mucus used by asnail ormollusk to seal itself inside its shell during hibernation.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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When I examined them again yeaterday, the smaller one had sealed its aperture with an epiphragm.
Archive 2009-06-01 AYDIN 2009
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When I examined them again yeaterday, the smaller one had sealed its aperture with an epiphragm.
Cepaea nemoralis AYDIN 2009
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SNAIL'S TALES: Cepaea nemoralis and its epiphragm skip to main
Cepaea nemoralis AYDIN 2009
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There is only a very narrow, short gap, visible at the top corner of the epiphragm, that the snail may have left open for air exchange, although I am not sure if it goes all the way thru the epiphragm to the other side.
Archive 2007-01-01 AYDIN 2007
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Its aperture is almost perfectly sealed by its calcerous epiphragm.
Archive 2007-01-01 AYDIN 2007
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Its aperture is almost perfectly sealed by its calcerous epiphragm.
The one that didn't make it AYDIN 2007
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There is only a very narrow, short gap, visible at the top corner of the epiphragm, that the snail may have left open for air exchange, although I am not sure if it goes all the way thru the epiphragm to the other side.
The one that didn't make it AYDIN 2007
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After all, the shell is a hard solid structure that in most cases envelopes the entire snail and the aperture could be blocked by an epiphragm or by various folds and lamellae here is an example.
Archive 2006-03-01 AYDIN 2006
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I wouldn't have expected a snail that is supposed to have originated in southeast Asia to build a similar epiphragm.
Archive 2006-06-01 AYDIN 2006
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What struck me as odd was that they had their apertures sealed with a hard calcareous epiphragm as opposed to a membranous one observed in eastern U.S. snails that normally don't experience long dry periods.
Archive 2006-06-01 AYDIN 2006
frogapplause commented on the word epiphragm
I like this word!
March 1, 2011
ruzuzu commented on the word epiphragm
Wait... is it the gastropod equivalent of a tappen?
March 1, 2011
mollusque commented on the word epiphragm
More like a storm door.
March 3, 2011
hernesheir commented on the word epiphragm
Exactly, moll!
March 3, 2011
ruzuzu commented on the word epiphragm
Ah... sure... "hardened mucus" would be more like a storm door. Hm--wonder why bears didn't think of that.
March 3, 2011