A taxonomic group or classification of organisms, particularly mollusks, characterized by having gills or branchia located on the dorsal or back surface.
Latin term combining 'dorsi-' (back) with 'branchiata' (having gills), using the Latin feminine plural ending '-ata' for taxonomic classification of gill-bearing organisms with dorsal respiratory structures.
This Linnaean classification represents an older way of organizing mollusks based on gill position—it's been largely superseded by modern genetic classification, but it shows how early naturalists observed and categorized marine life!
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