Glossary of Technical Terms 



Septum. A thin partition. 



Serrate. Notched, like a saw. 



Sessile. Without a stem or peduncle. 



Setaceous. Bristly. 



Setiform. Bristle-like. 



Shaft. Stiff axis of a quill. 



Shoulder girdle. The bony girdle posterior to the head, to which the anterior 



limbs are attached (post-temporal, scapula, and coracoid or clavicle). 

 Soft dorsal. The posterior part of the dorsal fin in fishes, when composed of soft 



rays. 

 Soft rays. Fin rays which are articulate and usually branched. 

 Spatulate. Shaped like a spatula. 

 Sphenoid. Basal bone of skull. 

 Sphenotic. A lateral bone of the skull. 

 Spine. Any sharp projecting point ; in fishes those fin rays which are unbranched, 



inarticulate, and usually, but not always, more or less stiffened. 

 Spinous. Stiff or composed of spines. 

 Spinous dorsal. The anterior part of the dorsal fin when composed of spinous 



rays. 

 Spiracles. Openings in the head and neck of some fishes and batrachians. 

 Stellate. Star-like; with radiating ridges. 

 Striate. Striped or streaked. 



Sub (in composition). Less than; somewhat; not quite; under, etc. 

 Subcaudal. Under the tail. 

 Subopercle. The bone immediately below the opercle (the suture connecting 



the two often hidden by scales) . 

 Suborbital. Below the eye. 

 Suborbital stay. A bone extending from one of the suborbital bones in certain 



fishes, across the cheek, or toward the preopercle. 

 Subulate. Awl-shaped. 



Superciliary. Pertaining to the region of the eyebrow. 

 Superior pharyngeals. Synonym of pharyngobranchials, q. v. 

 Supplemental maxillary. A small bone lying along upper edge of the maxillary 



in some fishes. 

 Supraclavicle. A bone interposed between the clavicle and the post-temporal. 

 Supraoccipital. The bone at posterior part of skull in fishes, usually with a 



raised crest above. 

 Supraoral. Above the mouth. 

 Supraorbital. Above the eye. 

 Suprascapular. The post-temporal or bone by which the shoulder girdle in 



fishes is joined to the skull. 

 Suspensorium. The chain of bones from the hyomandibular to the palatine. 

 Suspensory bones. Bones by which the lower jaw, in fishes, is fastened to the 



skull. 

 Suture. The line of union of 2 bones, as in the skull. 

 Symphysis. Point of junction of the 2 parts of lower jaw; tip of chin. 

 Symplectic. The bone in fishes that keys together the hyomandibular and 



quadrate posteriorly. 

 Synonym. A different word having the same or a similar meaning. 

 Synonymy. A collection of different names for the same group, species, or thing; 



"A burden and a disgrace to science. " (Coucs.) 

 Tail. In fishes (usually) , the part of the body posterior to the anal fin. (Often 



used more or less vaguely.) 

 Temporal. Pertaining to the region of the temples. 

 Terete. Cylindrical and tapering. 

 Terminal. At the end. 



Tessellated. Marked with little checks or squares, like mosaic work. 

 Thoracic. Pertaining to the chest; ventral fins are thoracic when attached im- 

 mediately below the pectorals, as in the perch, the pelvic bones being 



fastened to the shoulder girdle. 



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