A zoophyte is an invertebrate animal, such as a coral or sponge, that resembles a plant in appearance or mode of growth.
These organisms exhibit characteristics of both animals and plants. Although they appear plant-like, they are classified within the animal kingdom.
Now considered an obsolete term, use of zoophyte dates back to a time when naturalists encountered organisms that defied easy classification, and considered them to be intermediate between animals and plants, or an animal with plant-like attributes or appearance.
