FishBase Glossary Searched Term
FishBase Glossary
Term : ray

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English ray The supporting bony elements of fins, including spines and soft rays; all fin-supports are rays, whether segmented, unsegmented or spinous, but sometimes the term ray is used to denote soft rays only. In that sense, a ray is a flexible, rod-like segmented and often branched, bilaterally paired fin support of dermal origin. Rays may be divided into soft-rays (as just described) and hard-rays or pseudacanths which are ossified, inflexible and superficially like a spine (pseudacanths are found in some Cyprinidae, all Ictaluridae, Notacanthidae, etc.). Called dermatrichs as their origin is dermal. Ray counts are given in Arabic numerals, e.g. 11-14. Simple (rudimentary) fin rays are small, unbranched, unsegmented soft rays usually found at the beginning of a fin. Spines are unpaired and unsegmented, usually sharp and stiff rods supporting the membranes of the fins. Spine counts are given in Roman numerals, e.g. X-XII. spine
fin rays
soft ray
French rayon Éléments osseux secondaires des nageoires, y compris les colonnes vertébrales et les rayons doux ; tous les bases des nageoires sont des rayons, soit segmentés, non segmentés ou épineux, mais quelquefois le terme rayon est employé pour dénoter seulement les rayons doux. épine
rayons des nageoires
rayon mou
Spanish  
Portuguese raio Elementos ósseos que suportam as barbatanas (raios espinhosos e moles); a todos estes elementos se dÀo nome de raios (segmentados e não-segmentados ou espinhosos) mas normalmente designam só os raios moles (segmentados). espinho
raios das barbatanas
raio mole
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