# abranchiate

CEFR C2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abranchiate
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

describing animals that do not have gills. These creatures usually live in water and get oxygen through their skin or other body parts.

For teachers: lacking gills; referring to organisms that do not possess specialized respiratory structures for extracting oxygen from water.

## Examples

- Some abranchiate species live in the deep ocean.
- The researcher studied abranchiate fish to understand how they survive in environments with very low oxygen levels.
- While most aquatic vertebrates rely on gills for respiration, abranchiate species have evolved alternative methods, such as cutaneous gas exchange, to maintain their metabolic needs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.