noun
- small paddle-like appendages on the abdomen of crustaceans such as lobsters, shrimp, and crayfish, used for swimming and reproduction
Usage: biology; zoology
Examples
- The female lobster carries her eggs attached to her swimmerets.
- Crayfish use their swimmerets to propel themselves through the water.
- The biologist examined the swimmerets under a microscope.
- Male and female shrimp can be distinguished by differences in their swimmerets.
- The swimmerets help the crustacean maintain balance while swimming.
- During molting, the swimmerets are shed along with the rest of the exoskeleton.