Glossary of Technical Terms 



Canines. The teeth behind the incisors the "eye-teeth;" in fishes, any coni- 

 cal teeth in the front part of the jaws, longer than the others. 

 Cardiform (teeth). Teeth coarse and sharp, like wool cards. 

 Carinate. Keeled : having a ridge along the middle line. 

 Carotid. The great artery running to the head. 

 Catadromous. Running down; said of fresh-water species which run down to 



the sea to spawn. 

 Caudal. Pertaining to the tail. 



Caudal fin. The fin on the tail of fishes and whales. 

 Caudal peduncle. The region between the anal and caudal fins in fishes. 

 Cavernous. Containing cavities, either empty or filled with a mucous secretion. 

 Centrum. The body of a vertebra. 

 Cephalic fins. Fins on the head of certain rays; a detached portion of the 



pectoral. 



Ceratobranchials. Bones of the branchial arches just below their angle. 

 Ceratohyal. One of the hyoid bones. 

 Chiasma. Crossing of the fibres of the optic nerve. 

 Chin. The space between the rami of the lower jaw. 

 Ciliated. Fringed with eyelash-like projections. 

 Cirri. Fringes. 



Claspers. Organs attached to the ventral fins in the male of sharks, skates, etc 

 Clavicle. The collar bone, or lower anterior part of shoulder girdle, not entering 



into socket of arm. 

 Compressed. Flattened laterally. 

 Condyle. Articulating surface of a bone. 

 Coracoid. The principal bone of the shoulder girdle in fishes ; otherwise a bone 



or cartilage on the ventral side, helping to form the arm socket. Synony- 

 mous with hypercoracoid, q. v. 

 Cranial. Pertaining to the cranium or skull. 

 Ctenoid. Rough-edged; said of scales when the posterior margin is minutely 



spinous or pectinated. 



Cycloid. Smooth-edged ; said of scales not ctenoid, but concentrically striate. 

 Deciduous. Temporary; falling off. 

 Decurved. Curved downward. 

 Dentary. The principal or anterior bone of the lower jaw or mandible, usually 



bearing the teeth. 

 Dentate. With tooth-like notches. 

 Denticle. A little tooth. 

 Depressed. Flattened vertically. 



Depth. Vertical diameter (usually of the body of fishes). 

 Dermal. Pertaining to the skin. 

 Diaphanous. Translucent. 

 Distal. Remote from point of attachment. 

 Dorsal. Pertaining to the back. 

 Dorsal fin. The fin on the back of fishes. 

 Emarginate. Slightly forked or notched at the tip. 



Endoskeleton. The skeleton proper; the inner bony framework of the body. 

 Enteron. The alimentary canal. 



Epibranchiah. The bones directly above the angle of the branchial arches. 

 Epihyal. One of the hyoid bones. 

 Epipleurals. Rays of bone attached to the ribs and anterior vertebras usually 



touching the skin in the vicinity of the lateral line. 

 Erectile^. Susceptible of being raised or erected. 

 Ethmoid. A median anterior bone of the skull. 



Exoccipitals. Two bones of the skull, one on each side of the foramen magnum. 

 Exoskeleton. Hard parts (scales, scutes) on the surface of the body. 

 Exserted. Projecting beyond the general level. 

 Extralimital. Beyond the limits (of this book). 

 Facial. Pertaining to the face. 



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