branchia
/ˈbraŋkɪə
/noun (plural branchiae /ˈbraŋkɪiː/)
The gills of fish and some invertebrate animals.While resting in burrows or slight crevices, Pherusa extends its cephalic cage, grooved paired pales, and branchiae into the current....
- During this time ‘branchiae,’ which resemble gills, develop.
- The tube is quite thin so the branchiae probably are used mostly to acquire oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Derivatives
branchial
/ adjective ...- The larva probably possessed the scraping mouth parts and the branchial filter seen in most extant anuran larvae, and likewise probably also pumped water rhythmically.
- Due to the reduction of the hyoid and branchial arches, no other means than the suction flow seems to be available for this function.
- The history of the epibranchials presumably begins wherever vertebrates first developed a jointed, internal branchial arch rather than an unjointed, external branchial basket.
branchiate
Origin
Late 17th century: from Latin branchia, (plural) branchiae, from Greek brankhia (plural).