Epibranchial cartilage that is bilaterally paired and appears as a separate center of chondrification (6.2 mm) posterior to the lateral tip of epibranchial 4 and immediately anterior to the upper end of ceratobranchial 5. In the adult, epibranchial 5 persists as a small, cartilaginous rod extending from the cartilaginous junction of the posterodorsal tip of the uncinate process of epibranchial 4 and tip of ceratobranchial 5, to the cartilaginous junction of ceratobranchial 4 and epibranchial 4. [ GOC:mh ORCiD:0000-0001-9114-8737 ]