GLOSSARY
abdominal--on the belly
adipose fin--flap without rays, on back between dorsal and caudal
anal fin--median fin between anus and caudal fin
anterior--in the front
barbels--sensory projections around mouth
caudal peduncle length--from the base of the last anal ray to the caudal base
caudal peduncle depth--minimum vertical depth between anal and caudal fins
depth of body--greatest distance from back to underbelly
dorsal fin--median fin on back, with rays and sometimes spines
fin membrane--web of skin between fin rays
fin ray--segmented and branched fin supports, counted from the first long ray (as #1) to the last one, branched to its base ganoid--hard enameloid scale
gill rakers--anterior projections on gill arches for food capture
gular plate--large median bone on the throat
lateral line--row of scales along the sides, with sensory pores
maxilla or maxillary--upper jaw bone
oblique--mouth slanted
opercle--gill flap or (especially) largest gill-covering bone
pelvic fin--paired fins on the abdomen or chest
pharyngeal arch--5th gill arch, under gill cover, with teeth
preopercle spines--posterior and ventral spines on back of cheek
principle ray--fin ray that extends to outer edge of fin
ray--fin support made of bony segments (see fin ray)
rhomboid scale--diamond shaped scale
serrated--saw-toothed
spine--fin support that is not segmented, often sharp, never branched, but sometimes flexible (e.g in sculpins)
subterminal mouth--mouth position below end of face
terminal mouth--positioned at the center of the end of the face
thoracic--on the chest, as in percoid pelvic fins
tubercles--sharp, horn-like projections on the fins or head