1. a respiratory organ in mollusks consisting of a row of filaments
Usage: biology

Examples

• The ctenidium allows the mollusk to extract oxygen from water.
• Each ctenidium contains numerous filaments for gas exchange.
• The bivalve’s ctenidium filters both food particles and oxygen.
• Marine biologists studied the structure of the ctenidium under a microscope.
• The ctenidium is essential for the mollusk’s survival in aquatic environments.