noun
- Plural of gonopore; small openings or pores through which reproductive cells or gametes are released in certain aquatic animals, especially echinoderms and some other marine organisms.
Usage: technical; biology; zoology
Examples
- Starfish release eggs and sperm through gonopores located on their arms.
- The gonopores of sea urchins are typically found on the oral surface.
- Marine biologists examined the gonopores to determine the reproductive stage of the specimen.
- During spawning season, gonopores become more prominent in echinoderms.
- The number and position of gonopores vary among different echinoderm species.