also: せんもうひらむし
noun
Trichoplax adhaerens
A species of placozoan, a simple marine animal. This is a technical biological term; the katakana spelling is standard.
センモウヒラムシは、最も単純な構造を持つ多細胞動物の一つとして知られている。
Trichoplax adhaerens is known as one of the multicellular animals with the simplest structure.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly used in taxonomic contexts; it but marks the word is listed as usually written in kana.
The Japanese name センモウヒラムシ is composed of 繊毛 (senmō, 'cilia') and 平虫 (hiramushi, 'flatworm'), describing its ciliated, flat body. The exact derivation of the scientific name Trichoplax adhaerens is from Greek 'tricho-' (hair) and 'plax' (plate), with Latin 'adhaerens' (adhering).