any of a class of aquatic crustaceans, e.g. a brine shrimp, typically having a long body, a carapace, and many pairs of leaflike appendages: class Branchiopoda
branchiopodan /brangkiʹopədən, ˌbrangki·əʹpohdən/ adj
branchiopodous /brangkiʹopədəs, ˌbrangki·əʹpohdəs/ adj
[Greek branchia gills + pod-, pous foot]