English edit

Etymology edit

Porifera +‎ -ology +‎ -ist

Noun edit

poriferologist (plural poriferologists)

  1. (rare) A biologist whose specialty is the study of poriferans (sponges of the phylum Porifera).
    • 1964, Animal kingdom, volumes 67-68, New York Zoological Society:
      Besides Dr. Nigrelli the party included Dr. Martin F. Stempien, Jr., of the Aquarium staff, Dr. Gustavo Pulitzer, a marine ecologist and poriferologist of Portofino, Italy
    • 1978, Monographs on oceanographic methodology, volume 5, Unesco:
      Poriferologists generally agree that a sponge mass bounded by pinacocytes is an individual rather than a colony.
    • 1990, Richard C. Brusca, Gary J. Brusca, Invertebrates:
      The great variability in sponge morphology and the difficulty in precisely setting the limits of a sponge species have probably driven many potential poriferologists to frustration (and to other taxa) early in their careers.

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