Branˊchi-os′te-gous

,

BRANCHIOS'TEGOUS

, [Gr. gills, and a covering.]

Having gill-covers, or covered gills, as a branchiostegous fish; covering the gills, as the branchiostegous membrane. The branchiostegi are an order of fish in the Linnean system, the rays of whose fins are bony,but whose gill-covers are destitute of bony rays.