The outer or lateral branch of a two-branched crustacean limb or appendage, often used for swimming or moving water.
From 'exopod' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ite'. This is a more formal or technical version of exopod, commonly used in zoological and paleontological texts describing crustacean anatomy.
Fossil trilobites had exopodites that worked like tiny oars—as they beat back and forth, they not only helped the creature swim but also created currents that pulled water (and food) toward the creature's mouth, making them multi-functional limbs.
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