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How do gill rakers help trout feed on small invertebrates?
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protacanthopterygian
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
Gill rakers are minute, bony elements attached to the gill arches of a trout. They facilitate the consumption of small invertebrates by acting as a filter or mesh. As water flows over the gills, these structures strain small organisms from the stream of water and funnel them toward the esophagus for digestion.12