Pseudobranch
The pseudobranch, also pseudobranchia, is the reduced first gill arch of a fish (on the inner surface of the opercle, near the junction of the preopercle) as well as a reduced "false" gill in some gastropods.
In
elasmobranchs they are the gill arch of the spiracle. The function of the pseudobranch is unknown, but it is believed that it supplies highly oxygenated blood to the optic choroid and retina[1]
and may have baroreceptor (pressure) and thermoregulation functions. It may also be a site of oxygen chemoreception.
External links
References
- S2CID 1481041. Retrieved 18 October 2022.