noun
- the gills of aquatic animals, especially fish and other vertebrates
Usage: biological term; plural form
Examples
- The fish’s branchiae extract oxygen from the water.
- Marine biologists studied the structure of the shark’s branchiae.
- The branchiae are essential for underwater respiration.
- Damage to the branchiae can be fatal for aquatic animals.
- The branchiae contain numerous blood vessels for gas exchange.
- Scientists examined the branchiae under a microscope.