gill arch

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun One of several bony or cartilaginous arches located on either side of the pharynx and supporting the gills in fish and amphibians.
• noun Embryology One of several corresponding arches in the embryo of a higher vertebrate that develop into structures of the ear and neck.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun one of the bony or cartilaginous arches on each side of the pharynx that support the gills of fishes and aquatic amphibians