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gill raker
noun
: any of the bony processes on a gill arch that divert solid substances away from the gills
Examples of gill raker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Morphological characteristics of the fish were measured – the size of their eyes; aspects of their gill rakers, cartilaginous appendages fish use to capture tiny invertebrates; fin lengths, jaw shapes, and more.
—Keith Matheny, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
The only differences between the two species are the number of gill rakers and ray fins, which are difficult to count.
—Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2024
Researchers found a new kind of amphipod living in the gill rakers of a female whale shark's mouth, according to a paper describing the new species in the journal Species Diversity.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 29 Oct. 2019
With spongelike gill rakers, the silver carp specialize in filtering microscopic algae, even outcompeting accompanying schools of bighead carp.
—Tony Briscoe, chicagotribune.com, 12 Aug. 2019
Tiny beads of glass caught in its gill rakers suggest that the creature perished while gasping for air as fire rained from the sky.
—David Von Drehle, Twin Cities, 22 July 2019
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Word History
First Known Use
1880, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near gill raker
Cite this Entry
“Gill raker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gill%20raker. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
gill raker
noun
: any of the bony spines on the gill arch of a fish that prevent solid particles from entering the gills
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