Plural form of epizoon; external parasites or organisms that live on the surface of animals.
From Greek 'epi' (upon) + 'zoon' (animal). This is the plural nominative form, used in scientific taxonomy to refer to parasitic fauna living on an animal's exterior.
Epizzoa includes creatures like lice and fleas, and this 18th-century scientific term helped naturalists classify parasites as a distinct ecological category—animals that are literally 'upon animals.'
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