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Glossary

Taxon Name	Terminology	Description
Taxon Name	Terminology	Description
Birds	Aberrant	Abnormal or unusual
Birds	Accidental	Vagrant
Birds	Adult	mature, Capable of breeding
Birds	Aerial	Making use of the open sky
Birds	Allopatric	Relating to two or more related species whose range do not overlap
Birds	Altitudinal	migrant Moving between high mountains and lower foothills
Birds	Altricial	Blind and helpless when hatched
Birds	Apical	Outer extremities, particularly of the tail
Birds	Aquatic	Living on or in water
Birds	Arboreal	Living in trees
Birds	Ashy	Greyish Colour
Birds	Axillaries	Underwing feathers at the base of the wings, forming ‘armpits’
Birds	Back	Loosely applied to the mantle scapulars and rump
Birds	Banyan	Type of fig tree
Birds	Barring	‘Sideway’ lines such as on tail or breast
Birds	Basal	Innermost extremities, particularly of the tail or bill
Birds	Bheel	Shallow lake or wetland
Birds	Biosphere	The part of earth that is inhabited by life
Birds	Biotope	Area of uniform environment, flora and fauna
Birds	Bristles	Sensory feathers near beak
Birds	Brood	Young hatched from a single clutch
Birds	Brood	Parasitism Depositing of eggs by one species in the nest of an another
Birds	Buff	Yellowish white with a hint of pale brown
Birds	Bund	Manmade mud embankment
Birds	Canopy	Leafy foliage of treetops
Birds	Cap	Upper part of head
Birds	Carpal	Bend of a closed wing, sometimes called shoulder
Birds	Casque	Growth above bill of hornbills
Birds	Cere	Patch of bare skin on upper base of bill of raptors
Birds	Cheek	Term loosely applied to sides of head, below the eye or on ear coverts
Birds	Chevrons	V shaped contrasting marks on wings or bands across breast
Birds	Cinnamon	Light yellowish brown colour
Birds	Clutch	Complete set of eggs laid by a single female
Birds	Collar	Distinctive band of colour that encircles or partly encircles the neck
Birds	Colonial	Roosting or nesting in groups
Birds	Confiding	Not shy
Birds	Commensal	Living together with man for mutual benefit
Birds	Coverts	Small feathers on wings and base of tail
Birds	Covey	Small group of partridges and allied species
Birds	Crepuscular	Active at dusk (twilight) and dawn
Birds	Crest	Extended feathers on head
Birds	Crop	Pouch like enlargement of gullet in some birds where food is partially digested
Birds	Crown	Upper part of head
Birds	Crown	stripe Distinct line from forehead along centre of crown
Birds	Cryptic	Hidden having protective colouring and/ or behaviour
Birds	Culmen	Ridge on upper mandible of bill
Birds	Cursorial	Ground running
Birds	Deciduous	Trees that shed their leaves annually
Birds	Decurved	Curving downwards
Birds	Diagnostic	Sufficient to identify a species or subspecies
Birds	Dimorphic	Having two forms of plumage
Birds	Distal	Terminal or the outer end
Birds	Diurnal	Active during daytime
Birds	Down	Small soft feathers close to body of chicks
Birds	Drake	Male duck
Birds	Drumming	Rhythmic territorial hammering on trees by woodpeckers
Birds	Duars	Forested areas south of eastern Himalayas
Birds	Earcoverts	Feathers covering the ear opening. Often distinctly coloured
Birds	Eartufts	Feathers protruding near ears
Birds	Echolocate	Navigate by sound
Birds	Eclipse	Plumage New dull plumage after breeding season, especially in ducks
Birds	Endemic	Indigenous and confined to a place
Birds	Endangered	Species facing high risk of extinction
Birds	Eurasian	Of both Europe and Asia
Birds	Evergreen	Forests that always have leaves
Birds	Eyering	Contrasting ring around the eye
Birds	Eyestripe	Stripe through eye
Birds	Extinct	No longer in existence
Birds	Extirpated	Locally extinct
Birds	Extralimital	Not existing in the region
Birds	Facial	Disc Heart shaped arrangement of feathers as in some owls and harriers
Birds	Fallow	Cultivated land after cultivation and before ploughing
Birds	Family	Specified group of genera
Birds	Forage	Search for food
Birds	Ferruginous	Rusty brown colour
Birds	Feral	Escaped, and living and breeding in the wild
Birds	Filoplume	Hair like feathers like in breeding egrets
Birds	Flank	Side of body
Birds	Fledged	Having just acquired feathers and ready to leave nest
Birds	Fledglings	Young birds which have just acquired feathers
Birds	Flight	feathers Primary and secondary wing feathers
Birds	Flushed	When disturbed into flight at close quarters
Birds	Foreneck	The lower throat
Birds	Form	Sub species
Birds	Frons	Forehead
Birds	Frugivorous	Fruit eating
Birds	Fulvous	Brownish yellow
Birds	Game birds	Pheasants, partridges and allied species
Birds	Gape	Basal part of the beak (mainly for young birds and raptors)
Birds	Genera	Plural of genus
Birds	Genus	Group of related species
Birds	Ghats	Hills parallel to the east and west coast of India
Birds	Gorget	Band across upper chest
Birds	Granivorous	Grain eating
Birds	Gregarious	Sociable Living in communities or flocks
Birds	Gular pouch	Loose area of skin extending from throat as in pelicans and hornbills
Birds	Gular	stripe Narrow and often dark stripe running down from the centre of throat
Birds	Guttural	From the throat
Birds	Hackles	Long and pointed neck feathers
Birds	Hawking	Capturing insects in flight
Birds	Hepatic	Rust or liver coloured plumage phase, mainly in female cuckoos
Birds	Hood	Dark coloured head and throat
Birds	Hunting	party Group of birds usually of different species, seeking food
Birds	Hybridization	Cross breeding between two different species
Birds	Immature	Plumage phases prior to adult
Birds	Incubate	Giving warmth for eggs to hatch
Birds	Iris	Coloured eye membrane surrounding pupil
Birds	Irruption	Mass movement of a population from one place to another
Birds	Jheel	Shallow lake or wetland
Birds	Jizz	Essence or striking characteristics of a species
Birds	Juvenile	Immature bird immediately after leaving nest
Birds	Lamellae	Small stiff comb like membrane on inner edge of bill used for sieving food
Birds	Lanceolate	Lance shaped. Slim and pointed
Birds	Lantana	Invasive aggressive shrub introduced to the region
Birds	Leading	edge Front edge of wing
Birds	Lek	Sociable courtship gatherings
Birds	Lobe	Fleshy extensions to side edges of toes of some birds
Birds	Local	Unevenly distributed with a region
Birds	Loranthus	Parasitical bush that grows on tress and frequented by flowerpeckers
Birds	Lores	Area between eye and bill base
Birds	Lump	Treatment of one or more forms previously treated as distinct species as race of a single species
Birds	Malar	Stripe on side of throat
Birds	Mandible	Each of the two parts of bill
Birds	Mangrove	Coastal salt resistant trees or bushes
Birds	Mantle	Back, between wings
Birds	Mask	Dark plumage round eye and ear covert
Birds	Mesial	Stripe Central throat stripe
Birds	Migration	Seasonal movement between distant places
Birds	Mirror	White spots in wing tips, mainly of gulls
Birds	Monotypic	Of a single form with no subspecies
Birds	Montane	Pertaining to mountains
Birds	Monsoon	Rainy season in India
Birds	Morph	One of several distinct types of plumage in the same species
Birds	Moult	Seasonal shedding of plumage
Birds	Nail	Hook on tip of upper mandible
Birds	Nape	Back of neck
Birds	Nares	Nostril openings
Birds	Necklace	Narrow line round neck
Birds	Nictitating	Membrane Transparent fold of skin forming a third eyelid
Birds	Nidicolous	Chicks that remain in nests for a long duration after hatching
Birds	Nidifugous	Chicks that leave the nests soon after hatching
Birds	Nidification	Relating to nests or nesting
Birds	Nocturnal	Active at night
Birds	Nomadic	Species without specific territory except when breeding
Birds	Nominate	First sub species to be formally named
Birds	Non passerine	All order of birds except for Passerines
Birds	Notch	Indentations in outline of feathers, wing or tail
Birds	Nuchal	Crest Crest along back of neck
Birds	Nullah	Dry or wet stream bed or ditch
Birds	Nuptial	Plumage Breeding plumage
Birds	Ocelli	Brightly coloured ‘eye like’ spots as on peacocks
Birds	Occipital	Back of head
Birds	Oology	Study of bird’s eggs
Birds	Orbital	ring Narrow ring of skin or feathers round the eye
Birds	Order	Group of related families
Birds	Paddy	fields Rice fields often flooded
Birds	Paleartic	Old World and arctic zone
Birds	Parasitic	Deriving sustenance or taking advantage of others, like cuckoos laying eggs in other bird’s nest
Birds	Passerines	Perching and song birds
Birds	Pectoral	Breast area
Birds	Pelagic	Ocean going
Birds	Pellet	Indigested material regurgitated by owls
Birds	Phase	Colour form of a species
Birds	Pied	Black and white
Birds	Plumage	Feathers of a bird
Birds	Plumes	Long, showy feathers, acquired during the breeding season
Birds	Polyandrous	Female having more than one mate
Birds	Polygamous	Male with more than one mate
Birds	Polymorphic	Taking several forms
Birds	Postocular	Area behind the eye
Birds	Precocial	Young hatched sighted and downcovered, e.g. ducklings
Birds	Predator	Who feeds on other birds or animals
Birds	Primaries	Outer flight feathers in wing
Birds	Race	Sub species
Birds	Rachis	Central shaft of a feather
Birds	Range	Geographical area or areas inhabited by a species
Birds	Raptors	Birds of prey and Vultures, excluding owls
Birds	Record	Published, or otherwise broadcast, occurrence
Birds	Rectrices	Tail feathers
Birds	Remiges	The primaries and secondaries combined
Birds	Rictal	Around the bill
Birds	Resident	Non migratory and breeding in same place
Birds	Riparian	Along creeks, streams, rivers and waterways
Birds	Roost	Resting or sleeping space
Birds	Rufescent	Inclining to redness
Birds	Rufous	Reddish brown
Birds	Rump	Lower back
Birds	Sal	Dominant tree of North Indian forests
Birds	Sallies	Short flights and returning to perch as in bee eaters and flycatchers
Birds	Salt pans	Shallow reservoirs for drying out salt
Birds	Savanna	Open flat land with grass and scattered bushes
Birds	Sedentary	Staying in the same area throughout the year
Birds	Scalloped	Curved markings on edges of feathers
Birds	Scapulars	Feathers along edge of mantle
Birds	Scrape	Shallow depression made by birds to serve as nest
Birds	Secondaries	Inner wing feathers
Birds	Sedentary	Confined with a particular area
Birds	Shaft	Central stem of a feather, often hidden
Birds	Shank	Bare parts of a leg
Birds	Sholas	Small forests in SW Indian valleys
Birds	Shoulder	Where the wing meets the body
Birds	Shorebird	Long legged bird living near water
Birds	Skins	Bird specimens prepared for scientific studies
Birds	Skulker	Bird that mostly remains within vegetation cover
Birds	Slaty
Birds	Soar	Rising flight on still extending wings using thermals
Birds	Speculum	Area of colour on secondary feathers of wings
Birds	Streamers	Long extensions to feathers, usually of tail
Birds	Spangles	Distinctive white or shimmering spots in plumage
Birds	Species	Groups of birds reproductively isolated from other such groups
Birds	Speculum	Shiny, colourful patch on secondary feathers of the wing of some ducks
Birds	Storey	Level of the tree or forest
Birds	Spur	Sharp horny growth on legs of some birds
Birds	Straw	Pale yellow colour
Birds	Streaks	‘Lenghtwise’ lines on breasts or tail
Birds	Streamers	Long extension of tail feathers
Birds	Striated	Marked with fine streaks
Birds	Sooty	Blackish Colour
Birds	Sub adult	Immature moulting into adult plumage
Birds	Sub montane	Hills below highest mountains
Birds	Sub song	Subdued version of normal territorial song
Birds	Subspecies	Distinct form that does not have specific status
Birds	Subterminal	band Broad band on outer part of feather
Birds	Supercilia	Plural of supercilium
Birds	Supercilium	Streak above eye
Birds	Symbiotic	Interdependence between different species
Birds	Tail	Streamers Elongated ribbon like tail feathers
Birds	Talons	Strong sharp claws used to seize or kill prey
Birds	Tank	Water reservoir
Birds	Tarsus	Lower part of a bird’s legs
Birds	Taxonomy	Science of classifying organisms
Birds	Teak	Dominant tree of South Indian forests
Birds	Terai	Alluvial strech of land south of the Himalayas
Birds	Terminal	band Broad band on tip of feather or tail
Birds	Terrestrial	Ground living
Birds	Tertials	Innermost wing coverts, often covering secondaries
Birds	Totipalmate	All four toes connected to a single web
Birds	Trailing	edge Rear edge of wing
Birds	Underparts	Under surface of a bird from throat to vent
Birds	Underwing	Undersurface of a wing including the linings and flight feathers
Birds	Upperparts	Upper surface of a bird including wings, back and tail
Birds	Upperstorey	Canopy of a tree
Birds	Vagrant	Accidental, irregular
Birds	Vent	Undertail area
Birds	Ventral	Undersurface of body
Birds	Vermiculations	Wavy (worm like) markings
Birds	Vinaceous	Red wine coloured warm pink
Birds	Voca	mimicry Imitating the sounds of other birds
Birds	Waders	Shorebirds. Usually, the smaller, longleggedwaterbirds
Birds	Washed	Suffused with a particular colour
Birds	Wattle	Bare skin, often coloured, on part of head
Birds	Web	Skin stretched between toes
Birds	Wildfowl	Ducks and geese
Birds	Wing bar	visible line of colour at tip on wingcoverts
Birds	Wing coverts	Small feathers on wing at base of primaries and secondaries
Birds	Wing span	Length from one wing tip to the other when fully extended
Birds	Winter	plumage Plumage seen during the nonbreeding winter months
Birds	Zygodactylous	Having two toes directed forward and two backwards
Bivalve	Beak	the first formed part of a valve, usually above the hinge.
Bivalve	Bifid	split in two (as in the tooth in the hinge).
Bivalve	Byssus	clump of horny threads spun by the foot and attached to the hard bottom.
Bivalve	Cardinal tooth	hinge tooth situated near the umbo.
Bivalve	Concentric	sculpturing running parallel to the growth margin of the valves.
Bivalve	Escutcheon	a smooth, long surface on the upper margin of the valve behind the horny ligament.
Bivalve	Gape	opening or gap at either end of the closed valves.
Bivalve	Hinge	top interlocking margin of the valves, usually with teeth.
Bivalve	Lateral tooth	hinge tooth situated before or behind the cardinal teeth and at greater distance from the umbo.
Bivalve	Ligament	an external or internal horny band, usually behind the beaks, holding the valves together or ajar.
Bivalve	Lunule	an arrow-shaped or heart-shaped impression on the valves just in front of the beaks.
Bivalve	Pallial sinus	an embayment or U-shaped curve in the pallial line.
Bivalve	Periostracum	an outer layer of thin or thick chitinous material covering the outer shell.
Bivalve	Radial	sculpture or colour rays running from the beaks to the lower margins of the valves, crossing the concentric sculpturing one of the main shelly halves of a bivalve.
Bivalve	Siphon	slits allowing the enterance of water (inhalant, ventral siphon) or its exit (exhalant, dorsal siphon).
Bivalve	Valve	one of the main shelly halves of a bivalve
Cepahlopod	Anal flaps	A pair of fleshy papillae that arise at the sides of the anus.
Cepahlopod	Anterior	Toward the head end or toward the arm tips of cephalopods.
Cepahlopod	Arm formula	Comparative length of the arms expressed numerically in decreasing order, e.g., 3.4.2.1 or 3.2.4.1.
Cepahlopod	Armature	Refers to the presence and arrangement of suckers and/or hooks on the arms and tentacular clubs of cephalopods.
Cepahlopod	Beak	The chitonous like structure at the mouth of a cephalopod. The beak is similar in structure to a parrot's beak and can give a nasty bite.
Cepahlopod	Bifurcated arm tip	The division of the arm tip into 2 branches.
Cepahlopod	Biochemistry	The study of the chemistry of living organisms
Cepahlopod	Brachial	Pertaining to the arms.
Cepahlopod	Branchial	Pertaining to the gills or gill region.
Cepahlopod	Buccal lappet	Small, subtriangular flap at tip of muscular band that supports the buccal membrane; may bear suckers.
Cepahlopod	Buccal membrane	Thin web of tissue that encircles the mouth, reinforced by 6 to 8 buccal supports.
Cepahlopod	Buccal membrane connectives	Muscular bands that connect the supports of the buccal membrane to the bases of the arms.
Cepahlopod	Buccal suckers	Small suckers on the buccal lappets/membrane.
Cepahlopod	Calcified	Chalky, calcareous by deposition of calcium salts (calcium carbonate).
Cepahlopod	Calimus	The conical papilla or projection on the hectocotylus of octopods at the proximal terminus of the sperm groove, distal to the last sucker
Cepahlopod	Carpal cluster	A usually distinct group of suckers and knobs on the carpus of the tentacular club.
Cepahlopod	Carpal knobs	Small, rounded, hemispherical protuberances on the carpus to which carpal suckers from the opposite club adhere during the locking of the clubs.
Cepahlopod	Carpal suckers	Small suckers on the carpus of the club that usually adhere to knobs on the opposite carpus during the locking of the clubs.
Cepahlopod	Carpus	The proximal zone of (small) suckers (and knobs) on the tentacular club.
Cepahlopod	Cartilaginous scales	Cartilage like structures in the skin of certain squids; may be overlapping and scale like, or mutlifaceted knobs or papillae.
Cepahlopod	Cephalopod	A class of Molluscs that are known for the reduction, internalization or loss of their shell (exception: Nautilus), active life styles and advanced behavior. Cephalopods are jet powered, many can produce ink and they can rapidly change color, shape and texture.
Cepahlopod	Chitin(ous)	A horny polysaccharide substance (fingernail like) that forms the sucker rings, hooks and beaks.
Cepahlopod	Chromatophores	Pigment filled muscular sacs in the skin under individual nervous control that collectively provide the background colour, colour patterns, and colour play of cephalopods.
Cepahlopod	Circumoral appendages	The eight arms (squids, cuttlefishes and octopuses) and two tentacles (squids and cuttlefishes) or the very numerous arms (Nautilus) that arise from the h ead and encircle the mouth of cephalopods.
Cepahlopod	Cirri	Arm: elongate, fleshy, finger like papillae along the lateral edges of the oral surface of the arms, especially in cirrate octopods. Body: fleshy protuberances of the skin that can be erected as papillae, usually over the eyes.
Cepahlopod	Class	Any of the taxonomic groups into which a phylum is divided and which consists of one or more orders.
Cepahlopod	Cones, conus	The spoon like or cup like conical posterior terminus of the gladius or cuttlebone; homologous to the phragmacone of fossil teuthoids.
Cepahlopod	Corneal membrane	The very thin, transparent skin that covers the eyes of myopsid and sepioid cephalopods.
Cepahlopod	Cuttlebone	The calcareous (chalky) oblong, supporting plate in the dorsal part of the mantle of cuttlefishes.
Cepahlopod	Dactylus	The distal, terminal section of the tentacular club, often characterized by suckers of reduced size.
Cepahlopod	Distal	Away from the body or point of origin; toward the peripheral parts (opposite of proximal).
Cepahlopod	Dorsal	The uppermost or back surface of a cephalopod, opposite the ventral surface where the funnel is located.
Cepahlopod	Enzyme	A protein made within a living organism which accelerates specific chemical reactions (a catalyst).
Cepahlopod	Epidermis	The outer layer of cells.
Cepahlopod	Family	Any of the taxonomic groups into which an order is divided and which consists of one or more genera.
Cepahlopod	Fast Moll	A list server for people interested in cephalopods. Most members are scientists and traffic is very low.
Cepahlopod	Fin angle	The angle between the longitudinal axis of the mantle and the posterior border of one fin.
Cepahlopod	Fin lobe	The portion of each fin that protrudes anteriorly from the anterior point of attachment of the fin to the mantle.
Cepahlopod	Fins	The pair of muscular flaps that arise along the dorsolateral surface of the mantle of sepioids, teuthoids, and cirrate octopods; used for locomotion, steering and stabilization.
Cepahlopod	Fixing apparatus	The mechanism of suckers and knobs on the carpal region of the tentacular club that permits the two clubs to be locked together during capture of prey
Cepahlopod	Foveola	Transverse, membranous fold of skin that forms a pocket in the funnel groove of some oegopsids
Cepahlopod	Funnel / Siphon	The ventral, subconical tube through which water is expelled from the mantle cavity during locomotion and respiration (reproductive and waste products and the ink also pass through the funnel). Archaic term siphon.
Cepahlopod	Funnel groove	The depression in the posteroventral surface of the head in which lies the anterior portion of the funnel.
Cepahlopod	Funnel locking Cartilage	The cartilaginous groove, pit, pocket, on depression on each ventrolateral side of the posterior part of the funnel that joins with the mantle component to lock the funnel and mantle together during locomotion, so water is expelled only through the funnel and not around the mantle opening (see Mantle locking cartilage).
Cepahlopod	Funnel organ	The glandular structure fused to the internal surface of the funnel, generally a single W shaped form in octopods and a dorsal inverted V shaped component with opposed ventral oblong components in decapods.
Cepahlopod	Funnel valve	The semilunar muscular flap in the dorsal surface of the distal opening of the funnel.
Cepahlopod	Ganglia	Knot like masses of the cell bodies of neurons located outside of the central nervous system (CNS); includes the swellings of the CNS in invertebrates.
Cepahlopod	Gill lamellae	The leaf like convoluted individual components of the gill through which gas exchange occurs.
Cepahlopod	Gills	Structures used by cephalopods and many other marine animals like fish for respiration.
Cepahlopod	Gladius	The feather or rod shaped chitinous supporting structure in the dorsal midline of teuthoids and non sepiid sepioids; the homolog of the shell of ancestral forms.
Cepahlopod	Hectocotylus	One (or more) arm(s) of male cephalopods modified for transferring spermatophores to the female; modifications may involve suckers, sucker stalks, protective membranes, trabeculae
Cepahlopod	Hooks	Chitinous, claw like structures ontogenetically derived from the suckers on the arms and/or clubs of some oegopsids.
Cepahlopod	Ink sac	The structure that manufactures and stores the ink of cephalopods; it lies along the intestine and empties via a duct into the rectum.
Cepahlopod	Iridescent	Shimmering and changing colours.
Cepahlopod	Keel	A flattened, muscular extension along the aboral surface of some arms to render them more hydrodynamic; (2) 1 or 2 expanded muscular membranes on the tentacular
Cepahlopod	Light organ	A simple or complex structure that produces bioluminescence by intrinsic (self generated) or extrinsic (bacterial) means (also termed photophore).
Cepahlopod	Ligula	The spatulate to spoon shaped, terminal structure of the hectocotylus of octopods, that contains the calimus basally (proximally) and usually a series of transverse ridges and grooves on the oral surface
Cepahlopod	Mantle	The fleshy (muscular) tubular or sac Iike body of cephalopods; provides propulsion through jet Iike expulsion of water; contains the viscera.
Cepahlopod	Mantle locking cartilage	The cartilaginous ridge, knob or swelling on each side of the ventrolateral, internal surface of mantle that locks into the funnel component of the apparatus during locomotion
Cepahlopod	Manus	Central or "hand" portion of club between the dactylus distally and the carpus proximally.
Cepahlopod	Medial (n)	Pertaining to a structure located towards, on, or along the midline.
Cepahlopod	Needhams' sac	The elongate, membraneous container at the terminus of the male reproductive tract that stores completed spermatophores (=spermatophore sac).
Cepahlopod	Ocellus	A pigmented spot or patch usually consisting of a central locus of concentrated chromatophores with one or more concentric rings of chromatophores. Ocellae occur on some octopuses, and their normally vivid pigmentation make them stand out against the background colouration.
Cepahlopod	Oesophagus (Esophagus)	The region of animal gut which transports food from mouth or pharynx.
Cepahlopod	Olfactory papilla	A bump Iike to finger like protuberance on the posterolateral surface of each side of the head; of presumed olfactory function.
Cepahlopod	Orbital pore	Minute pore in the anterior part of the transparent tissue that covers the eyes of sepioids and myopsids
Cepahlopod	Orbital sinus	An anteriorly directed indentation in the eyelid of oegopsids
Cepahlopod	Pedicel	Short, tubular stalk that supports a sucker in sepioids and teuthoids.
Cepahlopod	Photophore	An organ of greater or lesser complexity that produces and distributes bioluminescence, either intrinsically through biochemical reaction or extrinsically through luminescent bacteria
Cepahlopod	Ploidy (in ref to algae)	Indicating a specific multiple of a single set of chromosomes.eg. Diploidy.
Cepahlopod	Pocket	An open depression in the anteroventral surface of the head of sepioids into which the feeding tentacles are retracted when not in use.
Cepahlopod	Protective membrane	Thin web like integument along the lateral angles of the oral surface of the arms and clubs lateral to the suckers, supported by muscular rods called trabeculae
Cepahlopod	Proximal	Toward the body or nearest or next to the point of origin or attachment; (opposite of distal).
Cepahlopod	Rachis	The thickened central axis that usually extends the entire length of the gladius. Free rachis is the portion that does not support vanes
Cepahlopod	Radula	The chitinous, ribbon like band in the mouth of cephalopods containing several transverse rows of teeth.
Cepahlopod	Retinal	Pertaining to the light sensitive membrane lining the posterior wall of the eyeball.
Cepahlopod	Senescent	Growing old.
Cepahlopod	Sepion	The calcareous dorsal supporting structure in the mantle of cuttlefishes.
Cepahlopod	Side pockets	Small membranous folds of the integument that form pockets lateral to the foveola
Cepahlopod	Sperm recepticle	A bulbous structure in the buccal region of some female cephalopods, e.g., loliginids, for the retention of viable sperm until they are required for fertilization. A tubular structure manufactured by male cephalopods for packaging sperm; capable of holding millions of sperm, being transferred intact, and attaching to the female until fertilization begins.
Cepahlopod	Spermatophore	A fleshy patch of tissue, usually in the mantle cavity of some female cephalopods (e.g. loliginids), to which spermatophores adhere after mating until fertilization occurs.
Cepahlopod	Spine	The sharp spike Iike extension on the posterior tip of the gladius or cuttlebone
Cepahlopod	Statocyst	The 'ear bone' of cephalopods. Statocysts of some species can be used to age them.
Cepahlopod	Sucker ring	Chitinous, often serrated or denticulate ring that encircles the opening of suckers of squids and cuttlefishes.
Cepahlopod	Suckers	Muscular, suction cup structures on the arms and tentacles (rarely on the buccal membrane) of cephalopods; some are stalked, placed on muscular rods that contract (squids and cuttlefishes); some are sessile, embedded without stalks on the oral surface of the arms (octopuses). They are usually counted either in longitudinal or in transverse (oblique) rows.
Cepahlopod	Tail	The posterior extension of the mantle, frequently elongate. Fins or tapered terminations of fins may extend posteriorly along the tail.
Cepahlopod	Tentacles	Elongate, stalked circumoral appendages of cuttlefishes and squids used for prey capture; distal ends contain clubs with suckers (or hooks); stalks usually devoid of suckers. Tentacles can retract into pockets on the head of cuttlefishes, or merely contract, in squids.
Cepahlopod	Tentacular club	Terminal portion of a tentacle; armed with suckers (or suckers and/or hooks), used for capturing prey
Cepahlopod	Trabeculae	Muscular rods that support the protective membranes on the arms and clubs of cephalopods; occasionally membranes are reduced and/or trabeculae are elongated, so they extend beyond the edge of the membrane, papilla like.
Cepahlopod	Umbilicus	The central core of the chambered Nautilus shell, representing the juvenile shell with its initial coils.
Cepahlopod	Vane	Thin lateral expansion of the gladius that arises from the rachis.
Cepahlopod	Ventral	The lowermost or belly surface of a cephalopod; the surface on which the funnel is located; opposite the dorsal surface.
Cepahlopod	Viscera	The 'guts' of an animal.
Cepahlopod	Water pores	Small orifaces at base of the web of some pelagic octopuses
Cepahlopod	Web	A membranous sheet of greater or lesser extent that extends between the arms of many octopuses, giving an umbrella like appearance when the arms are spread out, e.g., on cirroteuthids
Coral	Abiotic environment	The physical factors that affect an organism such as light, temperature, water and its dissolved and suspended materials, and nutrients.
Coral	Acropora	The dominant genus of the family Acroporidae. The species Acropora constitutes almost half of all the true corals and creates the major deposits of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
Coral	Ahermatypic	Corals that lack endosymbionts (zooxanthellae) and do not contribute to reef-building.
Coral	Alcyonacea	The order of soft corals. They are cnidarian and live in shallow water. Most of the specimens are tropical and soft-bodied and found in all areas.
Coral	Alcyonaria	An order of cylindrical polyps found in all marine environments. The largest distribution is in tropical waters where many harbor symbiotic zoochlorellae or zooxanthellae algae, which can add colour to them.
Coral	Ampullae	Reproductive structures found in hydrozoan coral.
Coral	Anterior	The head or leading end of an animal. The term is also used to denote position. Thus, the head of an arthropod is anterior to its thorax.
Coral	Anthozoa	A class of marine coelenterates (phylum Cnidaria), such as sea anemones and corals. Anthozans are animals with radial symmetry. The dominant form is the polyp, which can be large and quite complex. Most, but not all, anthozoans are colonial.
Coral	Antipatharian coral	Coral that produces a hard proteinaceous skeleton; Black coral.
Coral	Appressed Corallite	Radial corallites of Acropora with one side fused to the branch axis.
Coral	Arborescent	Coral with a tree-like growth form.
Coral	Archipelago	A group of islands. An archipelago may consist of isolated volcanic seamounts or mountain tops whose lower slopes and valleys have been submerged.
Coral	Askeletal corals and larvae	Corals and larvae that do not have skeletons.
Coral	Atoll	A ring of land surrounding a tropical lagoon, and which is in turn surrounded by a coral reef. An atoll is frequently formed of basaltic rock of volcanic origin and is capped with limestone covered with coral. The islets that form atolls range in size from those less than a mile (1 km) in diameter to those over 78 miles (120 km) in diameter.
Coral	Axial	Referring to the corallite formed at the tip of a branch.
Coral	Axial Corallites	Distinctive corallites at the apex of Acropora branches, usually much larger than Radial corallites below.
Coral	Azooxanthellae	Cnidarians without symbiotic photosynthesizing algae. Species described as azooxanthellae commonly feed on passing plankton and waterborne material.
Coral	Barrier reef	A partially submerged coral outcrop on the seaward side of a lagoon. The barrier reef follows the contour of the land, of which it may be an extension. Water in the lagoon is shallow, permitting coral growth, but the descent is steep on the ocean side. Barrier reefs result from coral growth or a change in the level of the seawater or subsidence of the beach area.
Coral	Bleaching	Condition when colored zooxanthellae are expelled from a living coral due to stress, resulting in a weakened specimen with its white skeleton clearly visible through the animal's transparent tissue.
Coral	Bottlebrush	Acropora growth form where branches are lined with many elongate tubular corallites.
Coral	Budding	Process of corallite reproduction by division to create identical copies
Coral	Caespitose	Bushy growth form of Acropora with branches dividing with 3 axes.
Coral	Calyx	Portion of corallite defined by the outer wall, plural calices.
Coral	Calice	The upper surface of a corallite to which the soft parts of an individual polyp are attached i.e. the upper, open end of the corallite.
Coral	Cerioid	Massive corals that have corallites sharing common walls (e.g. the upper surface of the corallum).
Coral	Cnidaria	A phylum whose members have tentacles, nematocysts, and radial symmetry. They are, for the most part, marine
Coral	Coenosarc	An extension of the polyp that stretches over the surface of the skeleton.
Coral	Coenosteum	Thin horizontal skeletal plates between corallites.
Coral	Coral	A group of marine animals belonging to the phylum cnidaria, that exist as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many identical individuals; or the skeletal remains of coral polyps.
Coral	Coral reef	Aragonite (calcium carbonate) structure produced by corals and found in shallow, tropical marine waters.
Coral	Colline	Elongate wall or ridge formed between corallites or groups of corallites. Columella a skeletal structure that develops in the central axis of the calice. It is usually either styliform (rod-like), papillose, trabecular (both spongy in appearance) or lamellar (formed from a series of interconnecting vertical plates).
Coral	Columella	Skeletal structure at center of corallite; none, porous, peg, or rod-like.
Coral	Colonial	Corals composed of many individuals a group of polyps formed from a common parent by budding. There is no clear distinction (e.g. in fungiids) between single individuals with many mouths and colonies of individuals with single mouths.
Coral	Colony	Coral composed of multiple corallites; compare to Solitary.
Coral	Coral and coral reefs	Cnidarians of the class Anthozoa; they are polyps, predominantly with sixfold or eightfold symmetry, and are either solitary or colonial. The coralline coelenterates construct calcium containing shells of characteristic shapes. Colonies of coral and their associated foraminifera and symbiotic algae live best in tropical and semitropical environments.
Coral	Corallite	The skeleton of an individual coral polyp / the skeletal parts deposited by a single polyp.
Coral	Corymbose	Acropora growth form where plates or clumps are composed of interlocking horizontal branches with upturned tips.
Coral	Digitate	Growth form of short thick vertical branches that are finger-like.
Coral	Costae	Extension of the septa outside the corallite wall.
Coral	Dendroid	Corallum formed from spreading branches of single corallites.
Coral	Dissepiments	Skeletal structures left by the polyps.
Coral	Edge zone	A horizontal fold of the polyp wall that extends over the corallite wall.
Coral	Encrusting	Relatively thin growth form which closely approximates the surface beneath.
Coral	Endemic	Species restricted to a specific area.
Coral	Extratentacular budding	Process of budding that grows outward from the parent corallite's outer wall; compare to Intratentacular budding.
Coral	Explanate	Colony spreads out flat, plate-like or foliaceous.
Coral	Exsert	A term used to describe septa that protrude above the top of the corallite wall.
Coral	Flabellate	Colony in which the meanders arise from a common base but are free laterally. They may be relatively short (crescentic) or elongate and sinuous (flabello-meandroid).
Coral	Flabello-meandroid	Corals with polyp-containing valleys that are separated by additional ridges.
Coral	Fossa	The central depression in a calice, usually partly filled by the columella.
Coral	Free-living	Corals that are not attached to the substrate.
Coral	Fringing reef	A reef attached to an island or a continent. The seaward side may be submerged and therefore a navigational hazard.
Coral	Great Barrier Reef	A coral reef that lies east of Australia, stretching from the Torres Strait south of New Guinea (Irian) to the Tropic of Capricorn. It is more than 1,750 km (1,100 miles) long and the world’s largest reef.
Coral	Hermatypic	Corals that contain endosymboionts and contribute to the building of reefs. Literally 'reef building' but commonly used as a descriptor for marine invertebrates that have photosynthetic plants living symbiotically within their tissues. Because the word is a misnomer, several terms, including 'reef-building', 'symbiotic' and 'zooxanthellate', are used synonymously. Of these, the former two are ambiguous and the latter is restricted to extant corals and other taxa with zooxanthellae
Coral	Hydrozoa	A class of cnidarians that characteristically exhibits alternations of generations, often with a sessile polyp giving rise to a pelagic medusoid form by asexual budding.
Coral	Immersed / Inserted	A term used to describe septa which do not protrude above the top of the corallite wall.
Coral	Immersed corallites	Corallites with opening embedded within coenosteum.
Coral	Incipient	Axial corallites in some species of Acropora that are smaller than average.
Coral	Intratentacular budding	Process of budding that occurs within the parent corallite's outer wall; compare to Extratentacular budding.
Coral	Imperforate	Referring to skeletal structures in corals (e.g., walls, septa, coenosteum) that are solid rather than porous.
Coral	Indicator species	One or more organisms used to assess the ecological health of a biome.
Coral	Keystone species	A predator at the top of a food web, capable of consuming organisms of more than one tropic level beneath it and strongly affecting the community structure.
Coral	Massive	Thick colonies, often having a round, dome, or cube shape.
Coral	Meandroid	Massive corals that have corallite mouths aligned in valleys such that there are no individual polyps; i.e. in which the corallites are fused in longitudinal series to produce a pattern of valleys and ridges.
Coral	Mesenteries/mesenterial filaments	The mesenteriesare radial partitions lying within the gastrovascular cavity of the coral polyp; mesenterial filaments may be produced from their free inner margins; coiled tubular structures within the polyp body cavity.
Coral	Monticule	Conical process arising from corallite walls that include ribs, also known as Hydnophore.
Coral	Nariform	Triangular radial corallites of Acropora resembling an upside-down nose.
Coral	Oral disc	Upper surface of the polyp, extending from the mouth to the outer ring of tentacles.
Coral	Pali	Vertical rods (pali) or plates (paliform lobes) arising from inner end of septal plates.
Coral	Papillae	Warts, rods, or lumps on coenosteum which are no larger than a corallite.
Coral	Parasite	An organism that feeds on the tissues of another organism. Parasites are one of the major causes of disease in aquarium fishes.
Coral	Petaloid septa	Primary septa with a petal-like appearance surrounded by smaller septa; Family Siderastreidae.
Coral	Paliform lobe	A vertical lobe-like protrusion formed at the inner end of a septum, adjacent to the columella.
Coral	Perforate	Referring to skeletal structures in corals (e.g., walls, septa, coenosteum) that are porous rather than solid.
Coral	Peristome	Area within the inner ring of tentacles and immediately surrounding the mouth.
Coral	Peritheca	The surface of the coenosteum between the corallites.
Coral	Phaceloid	Corals that have corallites adjoined only towards their base; i.e. in which tall, separate corallites arise from the basal part of the corallum.
Coral	Plocoid	Massive corals that have corallites with separate walls (c.f. cerioid corals) i.e. in which corallites are separate and well defined.
Coral	Planula	Free-swimming coral larvae.
Coral	Plocoid	Colony with elevated corallites that do not share walls.
Coral	Polyp	Typically sedentary soft-bodied component of Cnidaria (corals, sea pens etc), which comprises a trunk that is fixed at the base; the mouth is placed at the opposite end of the trunk, and is surrounded by tentacles.
Coral	Prostrate	Branching coral that grows horizontally just above the substrate.
Coral	Radial corallites	Smaller corallites that occur on side of Acropora branches; compare to Axial corallites.
Coral	Rasp-like corallites	Long radial corallites in Acropora with curved, knife or rasp-shaped openings.
Coral	Satellite colonies	Colonies that develop within the tissue of parent colonies and which have their own unattached skeletons. Best seen in Goniopora stokesi.
Coral	Scleractinians	Corals which have a hard limestone skeleton and belong to the order Scleractinia.
Coral	Scale-like corallites	Short radial corallites in Acropora with curved, fish-scale like appearance.
Coral	Septa	Radiating skeletal plates or ribs within a corallite's walls, may be in several cycles by size.
Coral	Septo-costae	Radiating skeletal plates or ribs that are continuous, extending outside the corallite walls onto the coenosteum and usually shared with adjacent corallites; Family Agariciidae, Siderastreidae.
Coral	Septal cycles	Relating to the formation and arrangement of the septa. Septa are laid down in radial series or cycles, the first cycle consisting of six primary septa, the second of six secondary septa, the third of 12 tertiary septa, and so on, Septal margin the upper free edge of the septum
Coral	Septal orders	Relating to the size of septa. Equal sized septa form a single order; subequal or unequal septa form two or more orders. Orders do not necessarily correspond to cycles
Coral	Septocostae	Extensions of the septa that unite adjacent calice centers. They are found in corals where the corallites lack walls and there is no clear distinction between septa and costae.
Coral	Septum	The calcareous, plate-like structures that radiate from the wall toward the center of the corallite. They are aligned vertically and alternate with the mesenteries.
Coral	Solitary	Referring to corals that grow as a single polyp with a surrounding skeleton.
Coral	Synapticulae	Small bars that make lateral links between adjacent septa.
Coral	Thamnasterioid	A corallum in which corallite walls are indistinct and the septa run uninterrupted between calice centers.
Coral	Trochoid	Colony top shaped.
Coral	Turbinate	Colonys haped like an inverted cone.
Coral	Vernacular name	A name proposed in a language used for general purposes as opposed to a name proposed only for zoological nomenclature. In the Catalog one finds the expression, "Not available, appeared as a French vernacular.
Coral	Zoanthidea	Colonial polyps that resemble sea anemones. They are anthozoans of the phylum Cnidaria and are related to the corals. They inhabit sandy bottoms in tropical to temperate water, an ecological niche similar to that of the sponges.
Coral	Zooxanthellae	A group of symbiotic dinoflagellates living endosymbiotically in association with one of a variety of invertebrate groups (e.g., corals). In corals, they provide carbohydrates through photosynthesis, which are used as one source of energy for the coral polyps. They also provide coloration for the corals.
Crab	Antenna(pl. antennae)	The long segmented appendages located behind the eyestalks. These allow the crab to interact with its environment by touch and chemoreception.
Crab	Antennule (pl. antennules)	Shorter segmented appendages located between and below the eyestalks, sensory organs; these also use chemoreception to "smell" and "taste".
Crab	Appendages	Ten legs (five pairs) including a claw-bearing pair with spines used for feeding and defense, followed by three pairs of sharply pointed walking legs, and a pair modified as flat swimming paddles at the rear, swimming legs.
Crab	Apron	Abdomen of a crab, which is folded under the body; male's is narrow and long. Amature female's is semicircular, like the dome of the capitol building.
Crab	Carapace	The shell covering the body. It provides protective covering. It is made of chitin and covers cephalothorax of the crab.
Crab	Cheliped	The first pair of legs, carries the large claw which is used for defense and obtaining food. Male's claws are blue tipped with red; female's are red.
Crab	Eyes	Visual organs mounted on the ends of eyestalks. The eyestalks contain cells that release hormones that inhibit molting and the development of gonads.
Crab	Lateral spines	Paired points on the widest outside edges of the carapace.
Crab	Sponge	Egg masses. Numbers of eggs vary, some may contain as many as
Crab	Swimmerets	(pleopods) Paired abdominal appendages under the apron of the female crab on which the eggs are carried until they hatch.
Crab	Swimming Legs	The last paired abdominal appendages, flattened for swimming.
Crab	Walking legs	3 pairs. Used for movement; crabs are capable of walking forward or diagonally, but usually they walk sideways.
Crab	Gills	Place of respiration and filtration, consisting of many plume-like filaments arranged around a central axis. There are eight gills on each side.
Crab	Heart	The pump of the circulatory system. It is broad in size and located in the lower center part of the body.
Crab	Hepatopancreas	Digestive gland. Large organ with several functions, including the secretion of digestive enzymes and absorption of digested food. It fills most of the area around the stomach, depending on its contents of food and water.
Crab	Intestine	Portion of the digestive system through which digested food passes.
Crab	Stomach	The organ of the digestive system that breaks down swallowed particles of food. It is lined with small hard plates and projections.
Crab	Testes	Part of the male reproductive system, located on top of the hepatopancreas on either side of the stomach.
Crab	Ovaries	Female reproductive organs that produce eggs and leading to the oviducts where eggs are released.
Crab	Cartilage	Encases muscles that aid in movement of the legs. The muscles are the edible portion of the crab.
Crocodile	Crocodilian	A member of the order Crocodylia, a group which includes crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials.
Crocodile	Incubation	The act of incubating eggs; that is, keeping them warm so that development is possible.
Crocodile	Territorial	An animal, a pair of animals or a colony that occupies and defends an area.
Crocodile	Territory	An area occupied and defended by an animal, a pair of animals or a colony.
Crocodile	Ectothermic	Animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature.
Crocodile	Heterothermic	Having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature (or), Animals that have little or no ability to regulate their body temperature, body temperatures fluctuate with the temperature of their environment, often referred to as 'cold blooded'.
Crocodile	Bilateral Symmetry	Having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
Crocodile	Iteroparous	Offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
Crocodile	Seasonal Breeding	Breeding is confined to a particular season.
Crocodile	Gonochoric	Animals in which the sexes are separate, each individual being unisexual, either male or female, such as in most vertebrates.
Crocodile	Oviparous	Reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
Crocodile	Egg tooth	Temporary modified epidermis.
Crocodile	Palatal valve	Fleshy extension at the rear of lower palate/ tongue covering the opening to the back of the throat.
Echinoderm	Abactinal	The area of the body opposite the mouth. Aboral in a direction away from the mouth; the part of the body opposite the mouth
Echinoderm	Accessory dorsal arm plate	In some ophiuroids, one or several small, symmetrically arranged plates that are inserted between the dorsal arm plate and the lateral arm plate.
Echinoderm	Actinal	The surface of the body that contains the mouth.
Echinoderm	Adambulacral	Towards, or immediately adjacent to, an ambulacrum.
Echinoderm	Adapical	In echinoids, towards the highest part of the test.
Echinoderm	Adoral shields	In ophiuroids, a pair of plates, one of which is found at each side of the oral shield.
Echinoderm	Adpressed	Squeezed against. The adpressed arm spines of ophiuroids are flattened against the sides of the arm.
Echinoderm	Alcareous ring	A ring of large ossicles surrounding the holothurian esophagus. It forms a point of insertion for longitudinal muscles and, when present, retractor muscles.
Echinoderm	Ambulacral Groove	In asteroids, the groove on the oral (ventral) surface of the arm, in which the tube feet are carried. Its sides are formed by the adambulacral plates, and it is roofed by the ambulacral plates. In crinoids, a furrow on the oral (dorsal) surface of the pinnules, arms, and central body, which is lined with cilia and bordered by the tube feet.
Echinoderm	Ambulacrum	A zone of the body that carries tube feet. Echinoderms generally have 5 ambulacra. The midline of an ambulacrum is a radius.
Echinoderm	Anal Cone	In crinoids and echinoids, a fleshy projection bearing the anus at its apex; also known as an anal tube
Echinoderm	Apical System	In echinoids, a ring of specialized skeletal plates, including the genital plates and ocular plates; usually located on the highest point of the test
Echinoderm	Apodous (apodan)	Lacking tube feet, in reference to holothurians.
Echinoderm	Appendage	A tube foot, spine, pedicellaria, or arm of an adult, or a projection from the larval body. In holothuroids, the tube feet may be modified to form a papilla lacking terminal suckers.
Echinoderm	Arm Joint	In ophiuroids, one of a series of articulating units comprising the arm, consisting of an internal vertebral ossicle, surrounding dorsal, lateral and ventral arm plates, and associated structures.
Echinoderm	Arm length	A body dimension of an ophiuroid measured from the edge of the disc to the tip of an arm.
Echinoderm	Arm spines	Spines attached to the lateral arm plate in ophiuroids, and to the marginal plates in asteroids.
Echinoderm	Arm	In asteroids, crinoids and ophiuroids, a moveable, jointed ambulacral projection, distal to the disc or calyx, that carries a radial branch of the water vascular system and the nervous system. Sometimes called a ray.
Echinoderm	Armament	A general term which describes an echinoderm’s array of spines and/or pedicellariae.
Echinoderm	Asexual reproduction	Reproduction that occurs without the fusion of male and female gametes, usually by splitting of the body into two parts that regenerate. The genetically identical offspring of asexual parents are a clone.
Echinoderm	Autoevisceration	In holothuroids, expulsion of the digestive tract and associated organs through the anus; in some species, the anterior end of the body ruptures and the calcareous rin
Echinoderm	Autotomy	A defensive process of self-mutilation initiated in response to adverse stimuli. It involves loss of portions of the body, such as the arms or disc in ophiuroids.
Echinoderm	Basal	In crinoids, one of a circlet of five plates that form part of the calyx.
Echinoderm	Basket	One of several types of microscopic skeletal ossicles in holothuroids; minute cup-shaped ossicle, usually with four projections
Echinoderm	Baskets (CUPS)	Are minute cup-shaped ossicles usually with four perforations.
Echinoderm	Bilateral symmetry	A pattern of symmetry, based upon an anterior-posterior axis, in which the left side of the body is a mirror image of the right side.
Echinoderm	Bipinnaria	A free-swimming larval stage of asteroids. Bipinnaria larvae have blunt larval appendages which support a ciliated band. The bipinnaria either may develop into a BRA
Echinoderm	Brooding	Reproductive mode in which the embryos are protected on, in, or beneath the parent, and emerge as tiny, crawl away juveniles.
Echinoderm	Buccal	Lying within the mouth.
Echinoderm	Bursa	In ophiuroids, an organ within the disc formed by an inpouching of epidermis. Bursae function as respiratory structures and are associated with the gonoducts. They h
Echinoderm	Bursal slit	The opening of a bursa, located on the ventral interradius of the disc at the base of the arm. There generally is one bursal slit on each side of an arm.
Echinoderm	Buttons	Are minute, flat, with few perforations; they may be smooth or knobbed. Solid, irregularly-shaped miliary granules are found in the body wall and muscles of apodous holothuroids. Sieve-like perforated plates are widespread in holothuroids, and may be found in other echinoderm classes, especially in juvenile individuals. RODS are commonly found as supporting structures in tentacles or tube feet.
Echinoderm	Calcite	The mineral form of calcium carbonate that makes up the echinoderm skeleton.
Echinoderm	Calyx	The cuplike central portion of the crinoid body, which supports the arms and visceral mass.
Echinoderm	Carinal Plates	In asteroids, plates forming a keel or ridge along the abactinal surface of an arm.
Echinoderm	Centrodorsal	The middle ossicle attached to the aboral surface of the crinoid calyx; commonly carries cirri.
Echinoderm	Cidaroids	A subclass of echinoids which arose in the Triassic; typified by species that have few, large, solid spines.
Echinoderm	Cirri	The unbranched, jointed appendages arising from the crinoid centrodorsal; they are used for attachment to the substratum.
Echinoderm	Cloaca	In holothuroids, the posterior part of the intestine; it carries the openings to the respiratory trees and cuvierian tubules, when present.
Echinoderm	Commensal	An organism that lives in association with another organism, and which usually benefits from the partnership without harming its host.
Echinoderm	Congeners	The species belonging to a single genus.
Echinoderm	Crenulate	Grooved; refers to the ribbed edge of certain echinoid tubercles.
Echinoderm	Cuvierian Tubules	Defensive structures of some holothurians, discharged through the anus as sticky threads which entangle and discourage predators.
Echinoderm	Dendritic	Branching in a tree-like manner, as in certain holothuroid tentacles.
Echinoderm	Dental Papillae	A cluster of small, blunt, spinelike structures on the dental plate, near the ventral tip of the jaw.
Echinoderm	Dermis	The stratum of cells beneath the epidermal covering of the body wall. In echinoderms, the skeleton develops in the dermis and is filled with dermal tissue.
Echinoderm	Digitate	Fingerlike, or carrying fingerlike structures; applied to certain holothuroid tentacles.
Echinoderm	Disc diameter	A body dimension of an ophiuroid measured from the distal edge of a pair of radial shields to the disc edge in the opposite interradius.
Echinoderm	Disc	The round or pentagonal central body region of ophiuroids and asteroids
Echinoderm	Distal	In a direction away from the center of the body; for example, toward the tip of the arm in asteroids or the tip of a spine in echinoids
Echinoderm	Dorsal Arm Plate	A plate on the aboral surface of an ophiuroid arm joint; one of the plates on the aboral surface of an asteroid arm.
Echinoderm	Dorsal	In echinoderms, this term is variously applied. In asteroids, ophiuroids and echinoids, it usually refers to the surface of the body that is opposite the mouth, the surface that is uppermost. In holothuroids, with mouth and anus at opposite ends of a cylindrical body, the uppermost surface is considered dorsal. In crinoids, by convention, the surface opposite the mouth is considered dorsal even though it is functionally the ventral (lower) side.
Echinoderm	Echinopluteus	The free-swimming larval stage of an echinoid. Echinoplutei have appendages that are supported by skeleton, and that bear ciliary bands. The process of metamorpho
Echinoderm	Echinulate	Something spiny or prickly, usually referring to the microscopic texture of a skeletal element such as a spine
Echinoderm	Embryo	An early developmental stage that is enclosed in a fertilization membrane or protected by the body of the parent. It transforms into a juvenile through metamorphosis.
Echinoderm	EPT (= Expanded Peripheral Trabeculae)	Microscopic, transparent nodules on the surface of skeletal plates. In ophiocomid ophiuroids they are a component of a photoreceptor system.
Echinoderm	Fascioles	In many Irregular Echinoids, narrow bands of small, specialized spines; visible on the denuded test as bands of densely packed, tiny tubercles. Fascioles provide a flow of water to aid in respiration.
Echinoderm	Fence Papillae	Peg-shaped spinelets fringing the edge of the disc of Ophiophragmus species.
Echinoderm	Fission	Asexual reproduction by splitting of the body into two parts, each of which regenerates into a complete animal.
Echinoderm	Food Groove	In crinoids, furrows lined with cilia, which conduct particles of food from the pinnules to the arms, and then on to the mouth.
Echinoderm	Fusiform	Shaped like a spindle, broadest in the middle and tapering towards each end.
Echinoderm	Gametogenesis	The process of formation of reproductive cells, eggs, and sperms.
Echinoderm	Genital Papilla	In ophiuroids, granules or spinules attached to the edge of the bursal slit. The term is also used (perhaps more appropriately) for the fleshy outlets of the gonoducts in ophiuroids that lack bursae, and in some echinoids. In holothuroids, a single, fleshy genital papilla opens to the exterior on the dorsal surface of the body immediately posterior to the tentacles.
Echinoderm	Genital Pinnule	In crinoids, a pinnule that is distal to the oral pinnules that contains gonad tissues.
Echinoderm	Genital Plate	In ophiuroids, a bar-like ossicle connecting the radial shield to the arm and supporting the radial edge of the bursal slit.
Echinoderm	Globiferous Pedicellaria	A three-valved echinoid pedicellaria that is equipped with venom sacs.
Echinoderm	Gonoduct	Genital duct. A duct which carries eggs or sperms from the gonad to an external genital opening..
Echinoderm	Granules	That are minute and nearly equidimensional,
Echinoderm	Heart Urchin	A more or less heart-shaped burrowing echinoid, usually in the order Spatangoida.
Echinoderm	Hermaphrodism	A condition in organisms whereby one individual possesses both functional male and female reproductive structures; hermaphroditic individuals may express both se
Echinoderm	Hooks	Minute, moveable, crescentic ossicles that articulate with the dorsal arm scales in gorgonocephalid ophiuroids (other ophiuroids may have hook-shaped arm spines attached to the lateral arm plates).
Echinoderm	Inferomarginals	In asteroids, a row of plates that define the ventral edge of the body; inferomarginals are overlain by a row of superomarginals.
Echinoderm	Infradental Papillae	In amphiurid ophiuroids, a pair of small, blocklike plates attached at the ventral tip of the jaw, below the teeth.
Echinoderm	Interambulacral Area	An oral or aboral section of the body lying between two ambulacra; in interradius; also known as an interambulacrum
Echinoderm	Interambulacrum	An oral or aboral sector of the body lying between two ambulacra. An interradius.
Echinoderm	Interradial (Interradius, Interradii)	Referring to interambulacral sectors of the body.
Echinoderm	Interradial	Referring to interambulacral areas of the body; interradius and interradii also commonly used
Echinoderm	Introvert	In some holothurians, the anterior of the body including tentacles and associated structures. It can be withdrawn into the body by means of retractor muscles.
Echinoderm	Irregular Echinoid	A heart-shaped or disc-shaped echinoid, usually covered with very short spines, generally living in or on soft sediment. Irregular echinoids have some degree of bilate
Echinoderm	Jaw	A moveable triangular structure that extends into the mouth in ophiuroids and asteroids. In the latter group, it is also referred to as a mouth-angle plate.
Echinoderm	Labrum	A posterior or lower projection of the border of the mouth in irregular echinoids.
Echinoderm	Lappets	In crinoids, small moveable plates that support the tube feet and form a protective covering over the food grooves.
Echinoderm	Larva	An early developmental stage that is independent of the fertilization membrane and the parent. Through metamorphosis it transforms into a juvenile.
Echinoderm	Lateral Arm Plates	In ophiuroids, paired plates covering the sides of each arm joint and bearing the arm spines.
Echinoderm	Lecithotrophy	A mode of reproduction in which free-swimming larvae develop using nutrient laid down in the egg. Lecithotrophic larvae do not feed on particulate matter, but they may supplement yolk reserves by the uptake of nutrients dissolved in seawater.
Echinoderm	Lunule	A slit in the echinoid test, as in the five or six-holed sand dollars.
Echinoderm	Madreporite	A plate with numerous perforations that is connected to the watervascular ring by a so-called stone canal. In most holothuroids it is internal. In asteroids and echinoids it opens to the exterior on the dorsal surface of the body; in ophiuroids it opens on the ventral surface, near the mouth. Crinoids lack a madreporite, having instead a series of small pores in the tegmen, opening to the body cavity.
Echinoderm	Marginals	In asteroids, plates covering the sides of the arms.
Echinoderm	Ocular Plate	A plate in the apical system of echinoids. The five ocular plates are radial (ambulacral) in position, and new ambulacral plates develop at their distal edges. In asteroids, the most distal plate of the arm, enclosing the terminal tube foot.
Echinoderm	Ophiopluteus	The free-swimming larval stage of an ophiuroid. Ophioplutei have appendages that are supported by skeleton and bear ciliary bands. During metamorphosis, the juve
Echinoderm	Optic cushion	A pigmented light-sensory structure of asteroids, projecting from the base of the ventral surface of the terminal tube foot.
Echinoderm	Oral Papillae	In ophiuroids, small plates at the edge of the mouth, attached to the edges of the jaw plate and/or to the aboral shield; may be variously shaped, from spine-like to scale-like
Echinoderm	Oral Shield	A relatively large plate at the distal end of the ophiuroid jaw. At least one of the oral shields is modified as a madreporite.
Echinoderm	Oral Tentacles	In ophiuroids, tube feet inside the mouth, arising from the jaws.
Echinoderm	Oral	In a direction toward the mouth; a part of the body on the same surface as the mouth
Echinoderm	Ossicle types	In holothuroids, the various types of microscopic skeletal ossicles can be broadly classified, based on their shapes. The shanks of fluked anchors are associated with sh
Echinoderm	Ossicle	A small, usually microscopic skeletal element, embedded in integument. Commonly found in the body wall of holothurians, but also known from the body wall and b
Echinoderm	Papillae	In holothuroids, specialized dorsal tube feet that lack a suckered tip; in ophiuroids, certain skeletal elements of the jaws or disk
Echinoderm	Papillate / Papillose	Covered with papillae
Echinoderm	Papulae	Small, soft, retractable extensions of the body cavity that project through pores in the body wall of asteroids; used for respiration. Papulae may be finger or glove-shaped, and are sometimes arrayed in dense patches.
Echinoderm	Paxillae	In some asteroids, columnar plates that bear an apical cluster of spinelets or granules.
Echinoderm	Paxillate	In asteroids, carrying paxillae.
Echinoderm	Pedicellariae	Small stalked or unstalked pincer-like organs on the body of asteroids and echinoids, used for defense and grooming
Echinoderm	Peltate	Shield-shaped; used to describe the tentacles of some holothuroids
Echinoderm	Penicillate Tube Foot	In some echinoids, a long, extensible tube foot bearing a brush-like array of glandular projections at the tip.
Echinoderm	Pentactula	The post-metamorphic developmental stage of holothuroids with either planktotrophic or lecithotrophic larvae. It has an anterior mouth and buccal podia, and one or two tube feet.
Echinoderm	Perforate Tubercle	In echinoids, a primary or secondary tubercle with an apical perforation for the insertion of a ligament.
Echinoderm	Perforated Plate	One of several types of microscopic skeletal ossicles in holothuroids; sieve-like and widespread; may also be found in other echinoderm classes, especially in juvenile individuals
Echinoderm	Peripetalous	In echinoids, refers to a fasciole which runs around the distal extremities of the anterior and posterior petals (ambulacra I, II, IV, V) and crosses ambulacrum III.
Echinoderm	Periproct	In echinoids, a flexible region surrounding the anus, which consists of a membrane containing embedded plates and often bearing spines and pedicellariae
Echinoderm	Peristome	In echinoids, the area of the test which carries the mouth. The surrounding peristomial membrane is commonly plated.
Echinoderm	Perradial	In echinoids, having a meridional position at the midline of an ambulacrum.
Echinoderm	Pinnate	Feather-like.
Echinoderm	Pinnular Comb	A group of modified pinnulars (see PINNULE) of an oral pinnule, which has a comblike profile. Present in Comasteridae and some Antedonidae.
Echinoderm	Pinnule	In crinoids, an unbranched appendage arising from a brachial ossicle and composed of a series of pinnular ossicles.
Echinoderm	Planktotrophy	The mode of development of free-swimming larvae that feed on particulate matter. Planktotrophic larvae grow using nutrients obtained from the plankton.
Echinoderm	Plates	One of several types of skeletal elements in echinoderms; tabular structures with a characteristic shape and a fixed position
Echinoderm	Polian Vesicle	Fluid-filled sacs attached to the water-vascular ring. They act as resevoirs, holding fluid that is displaced when tube feet contract.
Echinoderm	Polyporous	In echinoids, a compound ambulacral plate with many pore pairs, usually five or more.
Echinoderm	Pore Pair	Ambulacral pore divided by a skeletal wall, through which a single tube foot passes.
Echinoderm	Primary Plates	The first-formed plates on the dorsal side of the disk; in ophiuroids, these are the central and five radial plates; in adults, they may form a rosette of scales near the center of the disk, or they may be separated by numerous secondarily developed scales
Echinoderm	Primary Spines	In echinoids, the first-formed, larger spines; carried on primary tubercles in ambulacra and interambulacra.
Echinoderm	Proximal	Towards the center of the body. R. A body dimension of an asteroid, the major radius, measured from the center of the disc to the tip of the longest arm. r. A body dim
Echinoderm	Radial Shields	Pairs of plates on the dorsal surface of the ophiuroid disc, which lie near the base of each arm. They are usually relatively large and conspicuous, but may be hidden by granules or superficial scales.
Echinoderm	Radial Symmetry	A pattern of symmetry in which identical segments of the body are arranged around a central axis. Echinoderms generally have a five-part (pentamerous) radial symmetry.
Echinoderm	Radial	In a direction toward the central axis of an arm or ambulacrum; a part of the body near an arm or ambulacrum
Echinoderm	Regular Echinoid	A more or less spherical echinoid, with long spines, and with the anus situated at the center of the aboral surface. Typically lives on hard bottoms, or among marine plants.
Echinoderm	Respiratory Trees	Paired respiratory organs of some holothuroids. They are attached to the cloaca, just inside the anus, and project anteriorly in the body cavity.
Echinoderm	Retractor	In holothurians, one of five muscles which act to pull the tentacles into the safety of the buccal cavity.
Echinoderm	Rheophilic	Literally, "current-loving." Rheophilic organisms prefer habitats with significant water movement. Rheophobic organisms avoid currents, and occupy sheltered positions or are restricted to low-energy habitats.
Echinoderm	Rods	One of several types of microscopic skeletal ossicles in holothuroids; commonly found as supporting structures in tentacles or tube feet
Echinoderm	Rosette	Modified basal ossicles of some crinoids; a microscopic ossicle of some holothuroids. Scrobicular. In echinoids, surrounding the base of a spine.
Echinoderm	Scales	One of several types of skeletal elements in echinoderms; flat, thin structures that are overlapping, tessellate, or haphazardly arrayed
Echinoderm	Secondary Spines	In echinoids, the smaller spines carried on secondary tubercles in the ambulacra and interambulacra.
Echinoderm	Sensory Cup	A stalked cup-like sensory organ on the tentacle stems of some holothuroids.
Echinoderm	Skeletal Elements	Supporting and protective dermal structures consisting of a calcite meshwork (stereom) and invested with a thin layer of tissue (stroma).
Echinoderm	Sole	In some holothuroids, the flattened ventral part of the body, either covered with tube feet or surrounded by feet.
Echinoderm	Sphaeridia	Orientation organs generally situated near the mouth of echinoids, consisting of a tiny spine with a swollen tip, set in a pit or a closed chamber.
Echinoderm	Spinelets	That are enlarged, elongate cylindrical, or angular granules (this term is sometimes applied to small spines)
Echinoderm	Spines	Are moveable, articulating structures that are long, slender, and attenuated. Small structures fixed to the surface of scales or plates include
Echinoderm	Spinules	That have various numbers of pointed apical projections (e.g. bifid, trifid, multifid). Also fixed, and relatively larger than granules, are small structures referred to as stumps, which are usually prickly, and tubercles which are smooth and more massive.
Echinoderm	Statocyst	In some holothurians, a sensory organ of balance, consisting of a hollow sphere lined by sensory receptor cells, which contains moveable granules.
Echinoderm	Stone canal	A tube, usually reinforced with ossicles, leading from the madreporite to the water-vascular ring canal.
Echinoderm	Superomarginals	In asteroids, a row of plates defining the dorsal edge of the body. They overlie a row of inferomarginals
Echinoderm	Tables	Consist of a basal perforated disc and a central spire composed of three or more rods joined by crossbars.
Echinoderm	Tabulate	Spines with a flat upper or distal surface.
Echinoderm	Teeth	In ophiuroids, small plates or spines attached to the dental plate on the inner edge of the jaw, a series of them extending into the mouth; in echinoids, the five hard, sharp, and movable ossicles incorporated in Aristotle’s lantern; the term also refers to five movable ossicles that surround the anus of some holothuroids
Echinoderm	Tegmen	The surface of the crinoid visceral mass that bears the mouth and confluent food grooves leading to the arms, as well as the anus. It may be naked or reinforced with ossicles or plates.
Echinoderm	Tentacle Pore	In ophiuroids, an opening between the ventral arm plate and the lateral arm plate, through which a tube foot projects. Each arm joint has two tentacle pores.
Echinoderm	Tentacle Scales	Small, moveable spines or scales, associated with ophiuroid tube feet, which are attached to the ventral arm plate and/or lateral arm plate. Tentacle scales may cover
Echinoderm	Tentacles	In holothuroids, feeding structures in the form of highly modified tube feet arranged in a ring around the mouth.
Echinoderm	Terminal Disc	Round portion on the end of the tube foot in many echinoderms; usually employed for attachment to substrates
Echinoderm	Test	The "shell" of an echinoid, made up of many small skeletal plates. A "naked" test is one from which soft tissue, and projecting structures such as spines, have been removed. This process occurs naturally after the death of a sea urchin. To identify some urchins, it is necessary to clean a portion of the test with bleach, to see the underlying plates.
Echinoderm	Trifid	Divided into three parts. Regarding "trifid spinule"
Echinoderm	Trigeminate	An echinoid ambulacral plate, have three pore-pairs.
Echinoderm	Tube Feet	Fluid-filled, fingerlike extensions of the water vascular system that protrude through the openings in the skeleton or between skeletal elements; muscles and nerves
Echinoderm	Tubercle	A rounded prominence on the skeleton. In echinoids and some asteroids, a spine articulates with a tubercle.
Echinoderm	Tuberculated	Carrying numerous tubercles.
Echinoderm	Ventral Arm Plate	A plate on the oral surface of each ophiuroid arm joint; one of the plates on the oral surface of an asteroid arm.
Echinoderm	Ventral	In echinoderms, this term is variously applied. In asteroids, echinoids, and ophiuroids, it is the surface of the body that carries the mouth; this surface is in contact with the substrate. In the holothuroids, with mouth and anus at opposite ends of a cylindrical body, the ventral surface is lowermost - in contact with the substrate. In crinoids, the ventral surface carries the mouth, and is functionally the uppermost surface.
Echinoderm	Vermiform	Worm shaped.
Echinoderm	Vertebra	An internal ossicle within every ophiuroid arm joint, connected by ligament and muscle to the vertebrae of adjacent joints. It is so named because of a resemblance to bones in the human spinal column.
Echinoderm	Vitellaria	A type of free-swimming lecithotrophic echinoderm larva. It is barrelshaped, has several transverse rings of locomotory cilia, and lacks a mouth.
Echinoderm	Wheels	Are common in some apodous holothuroids, they usually have six spokes and a serrated rim.
Fish	Abdomen	Belly
Fish	Abdominal	Pertaining to the belly
Fish	Absolute abundance	Absolute abundance is the total number of a kind of fish in the population. This is rarely known, but usually estimated from relative abundance, although other methods may be used
Fish	Absolute recruitment	The number of fish grow into the catchable size range in a unit of time (usually a year)
Fish	Actinosts	A series of bones at the base of the pectoral rays
Fish	Acuminate	Tapering gradually to a point
Fish	Acute	Sharp, pointed
Fish	Adelphophagous	A mode of feeding where an embryo feeds on other embryos within the uterus of the female
Fish	Adipose	Fatty
Fish	Adipose fin	A small fleshy fin which lacks fin rays
Fish	Adnate	Joined together
Fish	Adpressed	Pressed against the body
Fish	Aestivate	To be inactive during warm dry periods
Fish	Airbladder	Buoyancy organ possessed by most bony fishes and also called as swim bladder
Fish	Alimentary canal	The passage through which food passes, starting at the mouth and ending at the anus
Fish	Anal	Pertaining to the anus
Fish	Anal fin	The fin on the median line behind the vent
Fish	Anal fin origin	The most anterior point of the anal fin base
Fish	Ankylosed	Grown firmly together
Fish	Anterior	Relating to the front portion
Fish	Antrose	Turned forward
Fish	Anus	The external opening of the intestine, the vent
Fish	Artisan	Someone who practices a craft as a livelihood
Fish	Artisan fishing	A small scale commercial or subsistence fishing practices
Fish	Asperity	Roughness of surface
Fish	Asymetrical	Without symmetry
Fish	Attenuate	Tapering to a point
Fish	Axillary	Process an enlarged, pointed scale projecting from the insertion of the pectoral or pelvic fin
Fish	Bait fish	Are small fish caught for use as bait to attract large predatory fishes
Fish	Barbels	Fleshy whisker like extensions, usually under the mouth
Fish	Basal	Pertaining to the base
Fish	Biconcave tail	Outer and inner fin rays longer giving a double concave shape (same as double emarginated)
Fish	Bicuspid	Having two cusps or points
Fish	Bifid	Cleft in two
Fish	Bifurcate	Forked or divided into two parts or branches
Fish	Blotch	Pigmented spot with an indistinct outline or shape
Fish	Branchial	Pertaining to the gills
Fish	Branchial aperture	The gill opening
Fish	Branchiostegals, Branchiostegal ray(s)	Bony rays supporting the gill membranes behind the lower jaw
Fish	Bristle	A stiff hair like projection
Fish	Buckler	A bony shield
Fish	Bycatch	Species other than the target species that are caught incidentally in a trawl
Fish	Canines	Conical teeth which are longer than other teeth
Fish	Caniniform shaped	Like a canine tooth, conical in form
Fish	Carapace	A horny or bony covering encasing the body
Fish	Carinate	Keeled, having a ridge along the middle line
Fish	Caruncle	A fleshy outgrowth
Fish	Catadromous	"Catadromous" species, spawn in the ocean but live part of their lives in fresh water
Fish	Caudal	Pertaining to the tail
Fish	Caudal fin	The tail fin
Fish	Caudal peduncle	Region of the body between end of anal fin and base of caudal fin
Fish	Choroid fissure	Line of juncture of invaginating borders of the optic cup
Fish	Choroid tissue	An undifferentiated mass of unpigmented tissue adhering to the ventral surface of the eye
Fish	Chromatophore	A modified dermal cell that contains pigment and gives the fish its colour
Fish	Ciliated	Fringed with eyelash like projections
Fish	Cirri	Small, thin appendages often subdivided into branches
Fish	Cleithrum	A prominent bone of pectoral girdle
Fish	Coalesced	Grown together
Fish	Cohort	Those individuals of a stock born in the same spawning season
Fish	Compressed	Flattened laterally
Fish	Confluent	Joined together
Fish	Conical	Cone shaped, with a cylindrical base and a pointed tip
Fish	Corselet	A scaly covering behind the pectorals of some fishes
Fish	Countershading body	Colouration which is dark above and lighter below
Fish	Crenulate	Having the edge slightly scalloped
Fish	Ctenoid	Rough edged
Fish	Cusp	A pointed or rounded projection on the chewing surface of a tooth
Fish	Cutaneous	Pertaining to the skin
Fish	Cycloid	Smooth edged
Fish	Deciduous	Easily removed / rubbed off, temporary, falling off
Fish	Demersal	Living on or near the sea bed
Fish	Demersal egg	An egg which remains on the bottom either free or attached to the substratum
Fish	Dendritic	Resembling a tree or shrub
Fish	Dentate	With tooth like projections
Fish	Depressed	Flattened from top to bottom
Fish	Dermal	Pertaining to the skin
Fish	Dewlap	A fold of loose skin
Fish	Diadromous	Species which undertakes spawning migration from ocean to river or vice versa.
Fish	Dimorphic	Body shape and colour varies between the sexes
Fish	Disc	The flattened head and body of fishes
Fish	Distal	Remote from the point of attachment
Fish	Dorsal	Pertaining to the back
Fish	Dorsal fin	Fin on dorsal side
Fish	Dorsal fin origin	Anterior most point of the dorsal fin base
Fish	Dorsum	The upper surface of the head or body
Fish	Egg survey	A systematic and scientific estimation of the abundance of eggs in an area, through sampling at the bottom or in the water column with appropriate devices
Fish	Electrocyte	A cell that generates electricity
Fish	Elongate	Extended, drawn out
Fish	Emarginate	With the margin slightly hollowed
Fish	Endemic	Restricted to a particular region
Fish	Epibenthic	Referring to organisms living on the bottom surface
Fish	Epipelagic	Referring to organisms living in the region between surface and 200 m depth
Fish	Erectile	Capable of being raised or erected, often referring to spines
Fish	Esca	The lure or "bait" on the end of the illicium of some anglerfishes and relatives
Fish	Estuarine	Living in estuaries
Fish	Eye diameter (ED)	Horizontal distance across the midline of pigmented region of the eye
Fish	Falcate	Scythe shaped, long, narrow and curved
Fish	Falcate tail	Tail fin shaped like a sickle, deeply concave, with the middle rays much shorter than the anterior or posterior rays
Fish	Falciform	Curved like a scythe
Fish	Fecundity	The number of eggs a fish produces each reproductive cycle
Fish	Filament	A slender or thread like structure
Fish	Filiform	Thread like
Fish	Fimbriate	Fringed at the margin
Fish	Fin length	Length of the longest soft ray of designated fin
Fish	Finfold	Medial fold of integument that extends along body of developing fishes and from which medial fins arise
Fish	Finlet	A small fin, positioned behind the dorsal or anal fins, that is supported by a ray or rays
Fish	Fishery	Fishery is characterised by the species caught, the fishing gear used and the area of operation. It may involve capture of wild fish or rising of fish through aquaculture
Fish	Fishing fleet	An aggregation of fishing vessels of a particular country or particular gear
Fish	Fishing vessel	a vessel (provide assistance to other fishing vessels such as supply, storage, refrigeration, transportation or processing) normally used for harvesting living aquatic resources
Fish	Fishmeal	A fish based protein rich animal feed product
Fish	Fleshy tail	Tail with fleshy knob
Fish	Flexion	Bending upward of the notochord tip as part of the process of caudal fin formation
Fish	Flexion larva	Development stage beginning with flexion of notochord and ending with hypural bones assuming a vertical position
Fish	Fluviatile	Living in rivers
Fish	Fork length	The length of a fish as measured from the tip of the snout to the fork of the caudal fin
Fish	Free rear tips (of fins)	The posterior tip of fin closest to the most posterior point of fin base
Fish	Frontal ridge	A ridge running along the top of the head along the midline
Fish	Furcate	Forked
Fish	Fusiform	Tapering towards both ends
Fish	Gametes	Eggs and sperm
Fish	Gas bladder	Membranous, gas filled organ located between the kidneys and alimentary canal in teleost fishes
Fish	Gill arches	The bony arches in which gills are attached
Fish	Gill cover	Bony flap that covers the gills, the operculum
Fish	Gill filaments	A series of projections along the posterior edge of the gill arch, the site of gas exchange
Fish	Gill membranes	Membranes covering the gill openings, attached to the branchiostegals
Fish	Gill opening	Opening behind each operculum, leading to the gills
Fish	Gill rakers	A series of appendages along the anterior edges of the gill arches
Fish	Gill	Organs for breathing the air contained in water
Fish	Glossohyal	Tongue bone of fish
Fish	Gonads	Sexual organs which produces eggs or sperm
Fish	Gonopodium	Modification of anal fin in some male fishes used to transfer reproductive products to the female
Fish	Gravid	Sexually ripe
Fish	Gular	Region behind the chin and between the sides of lower jaw
Fish	Head length (HL)	Distance from snout tip to the most posterior point of opercular margin
Fish	Head width	Transverse distance between margins at the widest area of the head
Fish	Homology	Similarity of features based on common evolutionary descent
Fish	Hyaline	Translucent or transparent
Fish	Hyperostosis	A condition resulting in enlargement of areas of bone
Fish	Hypural	Joint the joint between the caudal fin and the last of the vertebrae
Fish	Hypural plate	The flattened bony plate at the posterior end of the vertebral column, formed from parts of the posterior vertebrae
Fish	Ichthyocide	A substance used to kill (and usually collect) fishes
Fish	Ichthyoplankton	Fish eggs and larvae floating on the surface of water
Fish	Illicium	A fishing rod like appendage on the head of frog fish
Fish	Imbricate	Overlapping
Fish	Incipient fin ray	Early stage in fin ray development (unossified thickening in finfold articulating with the fin base)
Fish	Incised	With a notched margin (often referring to fin membranes)
Fish	Incisors	The front or cutting teeth
Fish	Inferior	Pertaining to the lower side (usually of the head)
Fish	Interdorsal	Between the dorsal fins
Fish	Interorbital	The space between the orbits
Fish	Intromittent	A structure to facilitate sperm transfer in some internally fertilizing species
Fish	Iris lappet	A fleshy flap or lobe like structure in the eye (may be short and rounded, simple or multiply branched)
Fish	Isthmus	The fleshy projection of the body separating the gill openings
Fish	Jugostegalia	Basket like structure of over lapping free branchiostegal rays used as support for the extended branchial region in some eels.
Fish	Jugular	Pertaining to the throat
Fish	Juvenile	Developmental stage from attainment of full external meristic complements and loss of temporary specializations for pelagic life to sexual maturity
Fish	Juxtaposed	Placed near together
Fish	Labial	Pertaining to the lips
Fish	Labial furrows	Shallow grooves around the lips
Fish	Labial papillae	Small fleshy projections around the lips
Fish	Lacrymal, lachrymal	Anterior bone of infraorbital series (frequently overlaps the maxilla when the mouth is closed)
Fish	Lanceolate	Spear shaped, gradually tapering toward the extremity
Fish	Larva	Developmental stage between hatching (or birth) and attainment of full external meristic complements (fins and scales) and loss of temporary specializations for pelagic life
Fish	Larval teeth	A little exerted spines on the premaxilla or dentary
Fish	Lateral	At or toward the side
Fish	Lateral line	A series of muciferous tubes forming a raised line along the side of body
Fish	Longitudinal series (scales)	The number of scale rows above the lateral line from the first pored lateral line scale to the caudal fin base
Fish	Lunate	Shaped like a crescent moon, with long upper and lower lobes
Fish	Lyosphaera stage	A specialized pelagic juvenile stage in the genus Chilomycterus, where elongate papillae develop but these fail to form spines.
Fish	Mandible	The lower jaw
Fish	Maxilla, Maxillary	The upper jaw
Fish	Median fins	Fins located on the median line of the fish (dorsal, anal and caudal fins)
Fish	Mediolateral	Between the middle and the sides
Fish	Melanin	A black pigment
Fish	Melanophores	Melanin bearing cells (frequently capable of expansions and contractions which change their size and shape)
Fish	Mesocoracoid	A bone of the pectoral arch or shoulder girdle
Fish	Mesopelagic	Fishes that live in the mesopelagic zone
Fish	Midwater fishes	Fishes that live in the midwater (well below the surface and well above the seabed)
Fish	Molars	Blunt and rounded grinding teeth
Fish	Morphology	Form and structure of an organism
Fish	Mouthwidth	The gape transverse distance between corners of the mouth
Fish	Muciferous	Producing or containing mucous or slime
Fish	Myosepta	Connective tissue partitions separating adjacent myomeres
Fish	Myotomes	Serial muscle bundles of the body
Fish	Nape	Upper surface of the body behind the head and before the dorsal fin
Fish	Nasal	Pertaining to the nostrils
Fish	Nasoral	Between the nostrils and mouth
Fish	Nictitating membrane	An inner eyelid
Fish	Notochord	Longitudinal supporting axis of body which is eventually replaced as a support by the vertebral column in teleostean fishes
Fish	Notochord length	Straight line distance from tip of snout to posterior tip of notochord
Fish	Nuchal	Pertaining to the nape
Fish	Obsolete	Faintly marked, scarcely evident
Fish	Obtuse	Blunt
Fish	Occipital	Pertaining to the posterior part of the skull
Fish	Ocellus	An eye like spot
Fish	Ocular	Pertaining to the eye
Fish	Oesophagus	The gullet
Fish	Olfactory organs	The organs used for smelling, commonly beneath the nostrils
Fish	Olfactory pit	A shallow depression on the snout from which olfactory organ develops
Fish	Opercular	Pertaining to the operculum
Fish	Opercular spine	Spine projecting from the operculum
Fish	Opercule, operculum	The bony flap that covers the gills
Fish	Orbit	The eye socket
Fish	Osseus	Bony
Fish	Ossicle	A bony plate
Fish	Otic capsule	Sensory anlage from which the ear develops
Fish	Otolith	Calcareous structures in the ear capsules of bony fishes
Fish	Ovate	Egg shaped
Fish	Oviparous	Species that produces eggs hatched outside of the body
Fish	Palate	Roof of the mouth
Fish	Palatines	Bones on each side of the palate Papilla (papillae) a small fleshy projection(s)
Fish	Papillose	Covered with papillae
Fish	Pectoral	Pertaining to the breast
Fish	Pectoral bud	Swelling at site of future pectoral fin
Fish	Pectoral fins	The anterior or uppermost of the paired fins
Fish	Pectoral girdle	The bones to which the pectoral fin attached
Fish	Pelagic	Living on or in the open seas
Fish	Pelagic egg	Egg which floats freely in the water column
Fish	Pelagic juvenile	Pre settlement juvenile of a species that is benthic or reef associated as an adult
Fish	Pelvic bud	Swelling at site of future pelvic (ventral)
Fish	Pelvic fins	Paired fins behind or below the pectoral fins
Fish	Pelvic girdle	The bones to which the ventral fins are attached
Fish	Peritoneum	The membrane lining the abdominal cavity
Fish	Pharyngeal bones	Bones behind the gills in the oesophagus or gullet
Fish	Pharyngeal teeth	Teeth within the pharynx
Fish	Pharynx	The back part of the throat in which the gill slits open
Fish	Photophore	A circular light producing organ on the surface of a fish
Fish	Piscivorous	An organism that feeds upon fishes
Fish	Planktivore	An animal with a diet that consists mainly of plankton
Fish	Postanal myomeres	Myomeres posterior to the posterior margin of the anus
Fish	Posterior	Towards the hind end of the fish
Fish	Postflexion larva	Developmental stage from formation of the caudal fin to attainment of full external meristic complements and loss of temporary specializations for pelagic life
Fish	Postorbital	Behind the eye
Fish	Pre dorsal fin length	Distance from tip of snout along the midline to the origin of dorsal fin
Fish	Pre gas bladder length	Distance from the tip of the snout along the midline to the anterior edge of gas bladder
Fish	Pre pelvic fin length	Distance from the tip of snout along the midline to the origin of the pelvic fin
Fish	Preanal length (PAL)	Distance from the tip of the snout along the midline to the posterior edge of the anus
Fish	Precaudal	Anterior to the tail portion
Fish	Preflexion larva	Developmental stage beginning at hatching and ending at the start of upward flexion of the notochord
Fish	Prehensile	Adapted for holding such as the tail of a seahorse
Fish	Premaxillaries	Two bones forming the front portion of the upper jaw
Fish	Preocular spine	Spine positioned above and in front of the eye
Fish	Preopercle preoperculum	Bone between the cheek and the gill cover
Fish	Preopercular spine	Spine projecting from the preopercule
Fish	Preorbital	Area under and in front of the eyes
Fish	Protractile	Capable of extending forward
Fish	Protrusible	Capable of extending forward often referring to the jaws of fishes
Fish	Proximal	Nearest
Fish	Pseudobranchiae	Small gills developed on the inner side of gill cover
Fish	Pseudoclasper	Stiff ossified lobes or prongs in the tip of intromittent organ
Fish	Pterygiophore	An internal cartilage or bone that supports a median fin ray or spine
Fish	Ramus	One branch or one half of the jaw
Fish	Ray	A jointed rod which supports a fin.
Fish	Retrose	Turned backward
Fish	Rostrum	A projecting snout or beak
Fish	Rugose	Rough
Fish	Scalation	Pertains to the pattern/ arrangement/ presence of scales
Fish	Scute	Any external horny or bony plate
Fish	Serrate	Notched like a saw
Fish	Setae	Bristles or hairs
Fish	Sexual dimorphism	Differences in physical appearance between the sexes
Fish	Snout length (SnL)	Horizontal distance from the tip of snout to the anterior margin of pigmented region of the eye
Fish	Soft dorsal	Posterior part of dorsal fin composed of jointed rays
Fish	Soft rays	Bilaterally paired, usually segmented fin supports
Fish	Spatulate	Shovel like having a broad, flat and rounded shape
Fish	Spawning	The production or depositing of large quantities of eggs in water
Fish	Spine	A sharp projecting point
Fish	Spine length	Straight line distance of a fin or body spine from base to tip.
Fish	Spinous, spiniform, spinate	Spine like or composed of spines
Fish	Spiracles	Respiratory openings behind the eyes in sharks and rays
Fish	Standard length (SL)	Length of a fish measured from the tip of snout to posterior extremity of hypural plate (the expanded bones at the end of the backbone that support the caudal fin)
Fish	Submarginal	Almost at the edge
Fish	Suborbital	Below the eye
Fish	Suborbital stay	A bony, often spine bearing, ridge below the eye
Fish	Superior	Above or on the upper surface
Fish	Supracleithrum	Bone forming a connection between back of skull and pectoral girdle
Fish	Supralateral	Above the side
Fish	Supramaxillary	A supplemental bone lying along the upper edge of the maxillary
Fish	Supraocular	Positioned above the eye
Fish	Supraorbital	Above the eye
Fish	Supraorbital tentacle	A flap or filament of skin positioned above the eye
Fish	Suprascapular	A bone uniting the shoulder girdle with skull
Fish	Suture	Line of union of two bones or plates
Fish	Swim bladder	A sac filled with gas, lying beneath the backbone
Fish	Symbiosis	Used to describe any association between two organisms
Fish	Symphysis	Point of junction of two sides of the jaw
Fish	Symmetrical	Similarly arranged on both sides
Fish	Tail	The portion of body posterior to the anus.
Fish	Teleost	A large group containing most of the bony fishes
Fish	Terminal	At the end
Fish	Tessellated	Marked with little checks or squares, like tiles
Fish	Thoracic	Pertaining to the chest
Fish	Thorax	Chest region, just behind the head
Fish	Total length (TL)	Length from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail
Fish	Transverse	Crosswise
Fish	Tricuspid	With three cusps or points
Fish	Trilobate	With three lobes
Fish	Truncate	Terminating abruptly, as if cut off square
Fish	Trunk	Region between head and anus or between last gill slit and vent
Fish	Tubercle	A small, usually hard excrescence or lump
Fish	Tubiform, Tubuliform	Resembling a tube
Fish	Tympanum	Area of enlarged scales behind the gill opening that can be vibrated to produce sound, in triggerfishes and filefishes
Fish	Undulated	Waved uniform of one colour
Fish	Urogenital papilla	A papilla through which urinary waste and gametes leave the body
Fish	Vent	The external opening of alimentary canal, the anus
Fish	Vent to anal fin length	Straight line distance from posterior edge of the vent (anus) to anterior origin of the anal fin or anal fin anlage
Fish	Ventral	Pertaining to the abdominal or lower surface
Fish	Ventral fins	Paired fins behind or below the pectoral fins
Fish	Vertebrae	The bones of spinal column
Fish	Vestigial	Reduced or very poorly developed
Fish	Villiform teeth	Small, slender teeth forming velvety bands
Fish	Viviparous	Species that gives birth to live young
Fish	Vomer	A bone forming the front part of the mouth roof
Fish	Vomerine teeth	Teeth on the vomer
Fish	Xanthism (xanthic, xanthochroism)	An unusual colour variety in which the normal colouration of a fish is largely replaced by yellow pigments
Fish	Yolk sac	A bag like ventral extension of the primitive gut containing the yolk
Fish	Yolk sac larva	Developmental stage beginning with hatching and ending with exhaustion of yolk reserves and characterized by presence of a yolk sac
Gastropod	Above	In a gastropod, towards the posterior end.
Gastropod	Adpressed	Joined by overlapping; the opposite to impressed.
Gastropod	Anal canal	A canal, normally open, at the upper (or posterior) end of the gastropod aperture, through which solid waste matter is voided.
Gastropod	Ancillid groove	A spiral groove below the centre of the body whorl on ancillid shells.
Gastropod	Angulation	Formed from corners; angled.
Gastropod	Anterior	At or towards the front or head end of a shell.
Gastropod	Anterior canal	An open or closed tubular shell extension at the anterior end of a shell, through which the siphon is extended. Same as siphonal canal
Gastropod	Aperture	The major opening of a gastropod shell.
Gastropod	Aperture entire	Uninterrupted; without an anterior notch.
Gastropod	Apex	The tip of the spire.
Gastropod	Apical whorls	Those whorls near the apex.
Gastropod	Axial	Pertaining to or more or less parallel to the axis of coiling of a gastropod shell.
Gastropod	Axial sculpture	Sculpture running parallel to the axis in a gastropod shell.
Gastropod	Axis	An imaginary line through the apex of a gastropod shell, about which the whorls are coiled.
Gastropod	Basal	Pertaining to the base.
Gastropod	Basal margin	In a gastropod shell, the angled portion of the body whorl separating the base from the remainder of the whorl.
Gastropod	Base	In coiled gastropods, the zone below the periphery of the body whorl.
Gastropod	Bead	A small, more or less hemispherical protuberance resembling a bead. Beads are smaller than nodules.
Gastropod	Beaded	Sculptured so as to resemble beads, or strings of beads.
Gastropod	Below	In a gastropod, situated more towards the anterior end.
Gastropod	Benthic	Living on the seabed
Gastropod	Bifid	Having two parts.
Gastropod	Body whorl	The most recently formed whorl of a gastropod shell, terminating in the aperture.
Gastropod	Bottom	In a gastropod shell, the anterior end.
Gastropod	Calcareous	Made of, or mostly, calcium carbonate.
Gastropod	Callus	Calcareous thickening
Gastropod	Canaliculate	Prominently grooved; channelled.
Gastropod	Cancellate	A sculpture produced by axial ribs crossed by spiral ribs of about the same size and spacing, giving a lattice-like appearance. Latticed.
Gastropod	Carinate	DONT USE. Use 'keeled'
Gastropod	Columella	A pillar surrounding the axis around which the shell is coiled, formed by the inner surface of the whorls. The wall opposite the outer apertural lip.
Gastropod	Columellar	Pertaining to the columella.
Gastropod	Columellar deck	In nerites, the area on the ventral surface of the shell covered by the columellar callus.
Gastropod	Columellar pillar	The lower end of the columella, particularly in ancillid shells.
Gastropod	Columellar shield	A plate of callus, most evident in the family Cassidae, extending from the columella onto the ventral shell surface.
Gastropod	Concentric	DONT USE. Use 'spiral'
Gastropod	Congeneric	In the same genus.
Gastropod	Conspecific	The same species.
Gastropod	Cord	DONT USE. Use rib, riblet or thread.
Gastropod	Corneous	Made of horny material.
Gastropod	Coronate	With tubercules or nodules around the shoulders of the whorls
Gastropod	Crenulate	Having a regularly notched or scalloped edge.
Gastropod	Decollate	With the apex broken off.
Gastropod	Denticle	A small tooth-like projection.
Gastropod	Denticulate	Toothed.
Gastropod	Dextral	Coiled with a right hand spiral. i.e. clockwise when viewed from the apex.
Gastropod	Dorsal	Of, pertaining to, or situated on the back or upper surface; in a gastropod shell, opposite the aperture. Opposite to ventral.
Gastropod	Dorsum	The dorsal surface of a shell.
Gastropod	Endemic	Peculiar to a region
Gastropod	Entire	Continuous; having no breaks. When applied to the aperture of a gastropod, the aperture in not interrupted by an anterior or posterior canal.
Gastropod	Eroded	Worn away.
Gastropod	Fasciolar band	Fasciole
Gastropod	False umbilicus	An umbilicus-like opening found in some gastropods, but not the true umbilicus.
Gastropod	Fasciole	A raised spiral band near the anterior end of some gastropod shells, formed by successive edges of the anterior canal.
Gastropod	Fenestrate	Literally, windowed; having a sculpture of crossed axial and spiral ribs or riblets, forming rectangular pits as in a multi-pane window.
Gastropod	Flaring	Opening or spreading outwards; said especially of the outer lip of the aperture.
Gastropod	Fold	A major constriction or gathering of the shell surface.
Gastropod	Foliaceous	With thin, leaf-like lamellae.
Gastropod	Foot	The muscular ventral part of the gastropod body used for locomotion.
Gastropod	Fossula	A pit or depression on the anterior part of the inner lip.
Gastropod	Frond	A foliaceous, leaf-like extension of a sculptural element, as on a varical spine
Gastropod	Funicle	Spiral ridge running into the umbilicus.
Gastropod	Fusiform	Spindle shaped; swollen at the centre and tapering almost equally towards the ends.
Gastropod	Granulose	Grainy or finely pustulose; covered with granules.
Gastropod	Growth line	More or less axial line representing former resting position of the outer lip.
Gastropod	Height	Distance from the apex to the anterior tip of a gastropod shell. Also called length.
Gastropod	Heterostrophic	The protoconch coils in a different direction to the rest of the shell; usually applies to the protoconch coiling sinistrally and the teleoconch dextrally.
Gastropod	Holotype	The single specimen designated as the type by the original author of a species name at the time of the original description.
Gastropod	Homonym	One of two or more identical but independently proposed names for different species, genera or taxa.
Gastropod	Imbricated	With scales overlapping each other like roof tiles.
Gastropod	Impressed	Joined by forming a groove; opposite to adpressed.
Gastropod	Inner lip	The lip of the aperture closest to the axis of coiling of a gastropod shell. (Not the inside of the outer lip).
Gastropod	Intertidal	Living between high and low tide levels.
Gastropod	Intervarical	Between the varices.
Gastropod	Keel	A sharply raised ridge, with parallel sides, as in the keel of a ship.
Gastropod	Lamella	(Pl. lamellae). A thin plate or scale, more or less erect. See also scales.
Gastropod	Latticed	Having a sculpture of crossed axial and spital ribs or riblets, not necessarily at right angles.
Gastropod	Lira	(Pl. lirae). A ridge on the shell surface within the aperture of a gastropod shell.
Gastropod	Lirate	With lirae.
Gastropod	Liration	DONT USE. USE Lirae.
Gastropod	Littoral	The zone of the shore between high and low tide levels.
Gastropod	Maculate	Patterned with regular or irregular patches. ie with maculations.
Gastropod	Mantle	The thin skin-like organ which covers the body mass of molluscs and contains the shell-secreting glands.
Gastropod	Mantle line	The line on the dorsal surface of a cowry shell where the mantle lobes meet.
Gastropod	Nacreous	With a layer of nacre, or mother-of-pearl.
Gastropod	Nodule	A rounded protuberance; larger than a bead.
Gastropod	Nodulose	Bearing rounded protuberances.
Gastropod	Oblique	Slanting; inclined from the horizontal or vertical.
Gastropod	Obsolete	Slight, barely apparent.
Gastropod	Operculum	The corneous or calcareous structure attached to the posterior end of the foot of many gastropod shells that closes the aperture when the animal withdraws into the shell.
Gastropod	Opisthocline	Refers to the slope of the outer lip of a gastropod shell sloping backwards in relation to the direction of shell growth.
Gastropod	Orthocline	Refers to the slope of the outer lip of a gastropod shell being parallel to the shell axis, not sloping forward (prosocline) or backwards (opisthocline).
Gastropod	Outer lip	The lip of the aperture of a gastropod shell furthest from the shell axis. The outer lip itself has inner and outer surfaces.
Gastropod	Papillate	Teat-like
Gastropod	Paratype	A specimen other than the holotype which was seen and designated by the author at the time of the original description of a species or subspecies.
Gastropod	Parietal	Pertaining to the parietal region.
Gastropod	Parietal shield	A calloused area found in some gastropod shells, covering the parietal wall.
Gastropod	Parietal wall	the region of a gastropod shell that extends from the columella around the top of the aperture to the outer lip.
Gastropod	Pelagic	Living on the surface of the sea or in the water column; opposite to benthic.
Gastropod	Penultimate	Second last.
Gastropod	Periostracum	Outer layers of horny material covering the calcareous shell. May be thin and transparent or thick, fibrous or hairy.
Gastropod	Periphery	The part of a gastropod shell farthest from the axis of coiling.
Gastropod	Peristome	The lips or margin of the aperture of a gastropod shell.
Gastropod	Plait	Spiral fold or ridge on the columella. Plica.
Gastropod	Planispiral	Coiled in a single plane.
Gastropod	Planktonic	Drifting or weakly swimming in the ocean.
Gastropod	Planktotrophic	Refers to planktonic larval development where the larvae feeds on micro-organisms and development time in the plankton is long.
Gastropod	Plica	(pl. plicae). A columellar fold.
Gastropod	Plicate	Folded or twisted; having plicae.
Gastropod	Porcellaineous	Polished; surface and texture as in porcelain.
Gastropod	Posterior	The tail end of an animal; in a gastropod shell, towards the apex .
Gastropod	Posterior canal	Anal canal.
Gastropod	Preoccupied	refers to a name which cannot because it was used for another taxon, or was not validly introduced..
Gastropod	Primary	Of the first order; most dominant or conspicuous.
Gastropod	Proboscis	An extensible snout, usually with the mouth at its end.
Gastropod	Produced	Drawn out; elongated; extended.
Gastropod	Prosocline	Referring to the outer lip of a gastropod shell, leaning forward in relation to the direction of growth.
Gastropod	Protoconch	Embryonic shell, present in the adult as the apical or nuclear whorls and often demarcated from the teleoconch whorls by a change of sculpture.
Gastropod	Punctate	Minutely pitted.
Gastropod	Pustulose	With pimple-like or blister-like swellings
Gastropod	Recurved	With the end bent away from the shell axis.
Gastropod	Reflected	Turned outwards and backwards.
Gastropod	Reticulate	Lines, riblets, threads or grooves crossing each other like a net.
Gastropod	Rib	An elongate sculptural element of a shell, raised above the surrounding surface. A fine rib is a riblet, and a very fine rib is a thread.
Gastropod	Riblet	A small rib, but coarser than a thread.
Gastropod	Rugose	Rough; covered with wrinkles, folds or creases.
Gastropod	Scabrous	Covered with scales
Gastropod	Scale	Thin plate-like structures, more or less parallel to the shell surface, as in fish scales.
Gastropod	Secondary	Of the second order; less dominant or conspicuous than primary structures.
Gastropod	Serrate	Notched or toothed at the edge like a saw.
Gastropod	Shoulder	The region of each whorl of a gastropod shell showing a sharper angulation or greater convexity than the rest of the whorl.
Gastropod	Shouldered	Having a shoulder.
Gastropod	Sinistral	Coiled in a left-handed spiral. i.e. anticlockwise when viewed from the apex.
Gastropod	Sinuate	Curved in and out; wavy; tortuous.
Gastropod	Sinus	A deep indentation or cavity
Gastropod	Siphonal canal	An open or closed tubular shell extension at the anterior end of a shell through which the siphon is extended. Same as anterior canal.
Gastropod	Spatula	Spoon-shaped area at the centre of the interior of a limpet shell.
Gastropod	Spicule	A small, slender, needle-like spine.
Gastropod	Spinose	Bearing many spines.
Gastropod	Spiral sculpture	Sculpture following the helical growth of a gastropod shell.
Gastropod	Spire	All whorls of a spiral shell exclusive of the body whorl.
Gastropod	Stria	(Pl. striae). Narrow and shallow incised groove.
Gastropod	Striate	Marked with striae.
Gastropod	Subfossil	A fossil that is younger than what would be considered typical fossil age. i.e. preserved since about 10,000 years ago, but not strictly recent or present day.
Gastropod	Sublittoral	Below low tide level.
Gastropod	Subspecies	A geographically defined group of populations comprising individuals which possess characteristics distinguishing them from other such subdivisions of the species.
Gastropod	Substrate	The material of the sea bed.
Gastropod	Subsutural	Below (i.e. anterior to) the suture.
Gastropod	Suture	The continuous spiral line of junction of whorls of a gastropod shell.
Gastropod	Sympatric	???????
Gastropod	Synonym	Each of two or more different names for the same species or other taxon.
Gastropod	Syntype	One of several type specimens where none has been designated as a holotype.
Gastropod	Teleoconch	All the whorls of a gastropod shell after the protoconch.
Gastropod	Tertiary	Of the third order; generally used for minor sculptural elements.
Gastropod	Thread	A very fine sculptural element of a shell, raised above the surrounding surface. Finer than a rib.
Gastropod	Top	In a gastropod shell, the posterior end.
Gastropod	Truncate	Cut off at the end, blunt.
Gastropod	Turreted	With the spire whorls like a succession of turrets, emerging one above the other.
Gastropod	Type locality	Locality at which the type specimen was collected.
Gastropod	Umbilicus	Cavity or hollow around the axis of a gastropod shell, formed when the inner walls of successive whorls do not meet.
Gastropod	Varical	Pertaining to a varix.
Gastropod	Varix	(Pl. varices). A thickened axial ridge in a gastropod shell, formed by thickening of the outer lip at a resting stage in the growth of the shell.
Gastropod	Ventral	Of, pertaining to, or situated on, the lower side of a dorsiventral organism; on the apertural surface of a gastropod shell. Opposite to dorsal.
Gastropod	Whorl	A single, complete turn of 360º in the spiral growth of a gastropod shell.
Lobster	Abdomen	The section commonly referred to as the “tail”.
Lobster	Antennae	Tactile organs, having a sense of touch.
Lobster	Antennules	Chemosensors, having a sense of smell – with a function similar to a human nose.
Lobster	Carapace	The outer shell of the cephalothrax
Lobster	Cephalothorax	Contains the head and thorax sections together they are commonly called the “body”
Lobster	Chelipod (crusher claw)	The larger of the claws, with a rounded surface suitable for crushing prey such as shellfish.
Lobster	Chelipod (ripper or pincher claw)	The smaller of the claws, which is more pointed and sharp, is used for tearing food apart.
Lobster	Eye	Compound eyes provide sense of sight
Lobster	Mandible	Jawlike structure for crushing and ingesting food
Lobster	Maxillipeds	The mouthparts of the lobster, flat platelike parts used to pass food to the mandible
Lobster	Pereiopods (walking legs)	The two sets of walking legs immediately behind the claws are also used for catching and eating food and have many “taste” sensors; the last two sets of legs are used primarily for walking.
Lobster	Pleopods	Commonly known as “swimmerets” with tiny hairs. In females the hairs are somewhat longer and are the attachment point for eggs.
Lobster	Telson	The central tail fin
Lobster	Uropods	The outer pairs of tail fins
Mammals	Abdomen	The ventral part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis.
Mammals	Altricial	Mammals that are born in relatively undeveloped condition (eyes closed and with minimal fur) and require prolonged parental care—as opposed to precocial.
Mammals	Alveolar	Of or pertaining to an alveolus (plural, alveoli), a small cavity or pit, as a socket for a tooth. Alveolar length of a tooth
Mammals	Angular process	The projection at the posterior, ventral end of the mammalian dentary. See "dentary".
Mammals	Annulation	A circular or ringlike formation, as of the dermal scales on the tail of a mammal where one ring of scales that extends entirely around the tail is succeeded, posteriorly, by other rings.
Mammals	Arboreal	Inhabiting or frequenting trees—contrasted with fossorial, aquatic, and cursorial.
Mammals	Auditory bulla(plural, auditory bullae)	A hollow, bony prominence of rounded form (in most mammals formed by the tympanic bone) partly enclosing structures of the middle and inner ear.
Mammals	Basal length	Distance on skull from the anteriormost inferior border of the foramen magnum to a line connecting the anteriormost parts of the premaxillary bones.
Mammals	Basilar length	Distance on skull from the anteriormost inferior border of the foramen magnum to a line connecting the posteriormost margins of the alveoli of the first upper incisors.
Mammals	Bead	A salient, rounded cordlike projecting ridge of bone, as in certain rodents where the superior border of the orbit is beaded.
Mammals	Braincase	The part of the skull enclosing the brain.
Mammals	Bunodont dentition	Referring to the cusp type of molars and/or premolars: cusps are low and rounded. The figure shows upper cheekteeth of a young domestic pig; some bunodontdentition, such
Mammals	Calcar	In bats a process connected with the calcaneum (heel bone) and extending into the uropatagium near its edge, helping to support the uropatagium (the fold of skin that extends between the leg and tail). A keeled calcar is one with a definite flap of membrane posterior to the calcar extending beyond the general margin of the uropatagium.
Mammals	Cancellous	Having a spongy or porous structure.
Mammals	Canine	Of, pertaining to, or designating the tooth next to the incisors in mammals. Of or pertaining to dogs or to the family Canidae.
Mammals	Carnivore	An animal that preys on other animals; an animal that eats the flesh of other animals; especially any mammal of the Order Carnivora.
Mammals	Cheek	teeth
Mammals	Conch(plural, conchs)	The external ear of a mammal; sometimes the spelling is concha (plural, conchae); the origin of both spellings is conch or konch, originally a bivalve shell of a marine mollusk.
Mammals	Condylar (condyloid, articular) process. On a mandible, the process ending in the articular condyle. See "dentary".
Mammals	Condylobasal length	Least distance on skull from a line connecting the posteriormost projections of the exoccipital condyles to a line connecting the anteriormost projections of the premaxillary bones.
Mammals	Coronoid process	The upward projecting process of the posterior part of the mandible, giving attachment on its outward side to the masseter muscle and on its inner side to the temporal muscle. See "dentary".
Mammals	Dental formula(plural, formulae)	A brief method for expressing the number and kind of teeth of mammals. The abbreviations i. (incisor), c. (canine), p. Or pm. (premolar), and m. (molar) indicate the kinds in the permanent dentition, and the number in each jaw is written like a fraction, the figures above the horizontal line showing the number in the upper jaw, and those below, the number in the lower jaw. For deciduous teeth, the abbreviation is preceded by "d".
Mammals	Dentary	A tooth
Mammals	Dentine	A calcareous material, harder and denser than bone, which composes the principal mass of a tooth.
Mammals	Dentition	The teeth, considered collectively, of an animal.
Mammals	Deuterocone	One of the cusps of a premolar tooth of a mammal corresponding in position (anteromedial) to the protocone of a true molar.
Mammals	Diastema	A vacant place or gap between teeth in a jaw.
Mammals	Digitigrade.	Walking on the toes and distal ends of the metapodials
Mammals	Enamel	Of teeth, the hardest substance of the mammalian body and forming a thin layer that caps or partly covers a tooth.
Mammals	Feces	Intestinal excrement, droppings, scat.
Mammals	Femur(plural, femora)	The proximal bone of the hind limb.
Mammals	Foramen magnum	The large opening in the back of a skull through which the spinal cord passes to become the medulla oblongata of the brain.
Mammals	Forearm	The part of the forelimb between the elbow and wrist.
Mammals	Fossorial	Fitted for digging.
Mammals	Frontal	Pertaining to or designating the bone (paired) immediately in front of the parietal bone and behind the nasal.
Mammals	Gestation period	The period of carrying young in the uterus, as applied to placental mammals; the period of pregnancy.
Mammals	Guard hairs	The stiffer, longer hairs that grow up through the limber, shorter hairs (fur) of a mammal's pelage.
Mammals	Habitat	The kind of environment in which a species of organism is normally found.
Mammals	Hamular process of pterygoid	A hooklike process on the pterygoid bone.
Mammals	Hibernation	Torpidity, especially in winter entered into by some kinds of mammals; the bodily temperature approximates that of the surroundings; the rate of respiration and the heart beat are much slower than in a non
Mammals	Horizontal ramus	In a lower jaw, the ramus bearing the teeth, and anterior to the vertical ramus.
Mammals	Incisive foramen	The anterior palatine foramen, which are paired, are in the bony roof of the anterior part of the cavity of the mouth at the juncture of the premaxillary bones and maxillary bones; they transmit nasal branches of palatine arteries and nasopalatine ducts of Jacobson.
Mammals	Incisor	Pertaining to or designating one of the teeth in front of the canine tooth; those in the upper jaw invariably are in the premaxillary bone.
Mammals	Infraorbital foramen or canal	A hole or passageway (canal) through the maxillary bone from the face to the orbit. See the image of the bobcat skull; the arrow marked "ifo" points to the infraorbital foramen.
Mammals	Inguinal	Pertaining to or in the region of the groin.
Mammals	Insectivorous	Eating insects; preying or feeding on insects.
Mammals	Interfemoral membrane	In a bat, the fold of skin stretching from hind legs to tail. The uropatagium.
Mammals	Interorbital constriction	The least distance across the top of the skull between the orbits (eye sockets).
Mammals	Interorbital region	The region between the eye sockets; the region of the skull between the rostrum and the braincase.
Mammals	Interparietal	Pertaining to or designating the bone (rarely paired) immediately in front of the supraoccipital bone and between the two parietal bones.
Mammals	Litter	The two or more young brought forth at one birth by a female mammal.
Mammals	Loph	A combining form used as the terminal part of certain words and denoting the ridges (or areas) composed of several cusps and styles on the occlusal face of a tooth, as protoloph.
Mammals	M2	Designation of the second true molar in the upper jaw of a mammal.
Mammals	Mammae(singular, mamma)	The glandular organs for secreting milk.
Mammals	Mastoid	Designating or pertaining to the mastoid bone (paired) or its process. This bone is bounded by the squamosal bone, the exoccipital bone, and the tympanic bone.
Mammals	Maxillary breadth	Width of skull from some designated place on the lateral face of the right maxillary bone (maxilla) to the corresponding place on the left maxillary bone; in shrews, across the ends of the zygomatic processes of the two maxillary bones.
Mammals	Maxillary toothrow	The row of teeth in one maxillary bone; in most mammals all the premolars and molars on one side of the upper jaw.
Mammals	Metabolic water	Water formed as an end product of cellular combustion of foodstuffs in an animal's body.
Mammals	Metacarpal	Of or pertaining to a metacarpal bone. A bone of the hand or forefoot between the wrist and fingers; when all the digits are present ,there are five more or less elongated metacarpal bones, one at the base of each digit.
Mammals	Molar	Of or pertaining to a molar tooth. One of the teeth behind the premolar teeth; a molar tooth is not preceded in embryological development by a deciduous (milk) tooth.
Mammals	Molt(moult)	In a mammal, the act or process of shedding or casting off the hair, or outer layer of skin or horns; most mammals shed the hair once, twice, or three times annually. The cast off covering(obsolete).As a verb: to be shed(intransitive)or to shed(transitive).
Mammals	Nasal	Of or pertaining to the nose, as a nasal bone (paired) on the dorsal surface of the skull at its anterior end. A nasal bone.
Mammals	Nocturnal	Active by night (opposed to diurnal).
Mammals	Occipitonasal length	Least distance between two vertical lines, one touching the posteriormost part of the skull above the foramen magnum (opening for the spinal cord) and the other touching the anteriormost part of the nasal bones or a nasal bone.
Mammals	Occlusal	Of or pertaining to the grinding or biting (occluding) surface of a tooth.
Mammals	Opposable	Capable of being placed opposite something else; said of the first toe of an opossum in the sense that it can be placed opposite each of the other toes on that same foot.
Mammals	Orbit	The cavity in the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated; the eye socket.
Mammals	Osseous	Composed of, or resembling, bone; bony. Osseous tissue is bony tissue.
Mammals	Overhairs	The longer hairs of the pelage of a mammal that project above the fur (shorter hairs).
Mammals	P3	Designation of the third (next to last) premolar in the upper jaw of a mammal. Capital letters designate teeth in the upper jaw and lowercase letters designate teeth in the lower jaw.
Mammals	Palatal	Of or pertaining to the palate (as generally used, the bony roof of the mouth made up of two palatine bones, two maxillary bones, and two premaxillary bones).
Mammals	Palate	The roof of the mouth, consisting of the structures that separate the mouth from the nasal cavity. The bony palate is composed of the following bones: premaxillae, maxillae, and palatines.
Mammals	Parietal	Pertaining to or designating the parietal bone (paired) roofing the braincase. This bone is behind the frontal bone and in front of the occipital bones.
Mammals	Pectoral	pertaining to, or situated or occurring in or on, the chest.
Mammals	Pencil	Tuft of fur or hair, as a black pencil on the end of the tail of a mammal.
Mammals	Penicillate	Having a pencil, or tuft of longer hair (see above).
Mammals	Phalanx(plural, phalanges)	A bone, in a finger, distal to the metacarpus or a bone, in a toe, distal to the metatarsus.
Mammals	Pinna(plural, pinnae)	The projecting part of an ear.
Mammals	Plantigrade	Walking on the entire sole of the foot, as in humans and bears.
Mammals	Postauricular	Situated behind the auricle (pinna) of the ear, as a postauricular patch (ordinarily referring to a patch of fur differing in color from surrounding fur).
Mammals	Postorbital	Situated behind the eye, as postorbital process of the frontal bone or postorbital process of the jugal bone.
Mammals	Premaxillary	Of or referring to the premaxilla, a bone (paired), in the mammalian skull bearing the incisor teeth of the upper jaw; the premaxilla is situated in front of the maxilla.
Mammals	Premolar	Designating or pertaining to one of the teeth (a maximum of 4 on each side of upper jaw and lower jaw of placental mammals, or 16 in all) in front of the true molars. When canine teeth are present, premolars are behind these teeth; premolars are preceded by deciduous teeth, and in the upper jaw are confined to the maxillary bone.
Mammals	Proximal	Being nearer to the midline of the body than the referred structure. Thus the wrist is proximal to the hand, the forearm is proximal to the wrist, the elbow is proximal to the forearm, etc. The opposite of distal.
Mammals	Reentrant angle	An infold of the enamel layer on the side, front, or back of a cheek
Mammals	Rostrum	Of a mammalian skull, the part projecting in front of the orbits.
Mammals	Rut	The breeding period, as in deer.
Mammals	Sagittal crest	The ridge of bone at the juncture of the two parietal bones resulting from the coalescence of the temporal ridges; in old individuals of many species of mammals, the crest extends from the middle of the lambdoidal crest anteriorly onto the frontal bones and divides there into two temporal ridges, each of which extends anterolaterally on the posterior edge of the postorbital process of the frontal bone.
Mammals	Saliva	The fluid secreted by the glands discharging into the mouth.
Mammals	Subauricular spot	A spot, patch of hair, distinctively colored immediately below the ear.
Mammals	Supraorbital process of frontal	The process of the frontal bone on the top rim of the orbit, as in a rabbit.
Mammals	Tarsus	The ankle.
Mammals	Taxon (plural: taxa)	Any group of organisms formally named under the rules of taxonomic nomenclature. ThusHomo sapiensis a taxon that happens to be at the species level. Animalia also is a taxon (at the kingdom level, of course). This differs from rank, which refers to a level of the taxonomic hierarchy (such as genus, order, phylum).
Mammals	Temporal ridge(paired)	A curved, raised line on the side of the braincase marking the upper limit of attachment of the fascia of the temporal muscle. The temporal ridge is prominent on the parietal bone, frequently extends forward onto the frontal bone, and in some kinds of mammals extends backward onto the interparietal bone. When present, the sagittal crest is formed by the coalescence of the two temporal ridges.
Mammals	Terrestrial	Inhabiting the land, rather than the water, trees, or air.
Mammals	Tibia(plural, tibiae)	The inner and usually larger of the two bones of the hind limb (leg) between the knee and the ankle.
Mammals	Torpid	Having lost most of the power of exertion; dormant. A ground squirrel is torpid when it is hibernating.
Mammals	Tricolor	Having three colors. Said of hair on back of a mammal when the hair has three bands, each of a different color.
Mammals	Type locality	The place where a type specimen (holotype) was obtained.
Mammals	Underfur	The short hair of a mammal; in temperate and boreal climates, the underfur ordinarily is denser, made up of more hairs, than the longer and coarser overhair.
Mammals	Underparts	The underneath (ventral) side of a mammal (not the back or sides), as of a woods mouse with whiteunderparts.
Mammals	Unicuspid	A tooth with a single cusp. Usually applied to a set of teeth of shrews, but may be used for any such tooth, such as a canine tooth.
Mammals	Upper parts	The top (dorsal) surface and all of the sides (not the belly, chest, or throat), as of a woods mouse with reddish
Mammals	Uropatagium	The interfemoral membrane of a bat; that is to say, the fold of skin that stretches from the hind legs to the tail.
Mammals	Zygomatic breadth	Greatest distance across zygomatic arches of the cranium at right angles to the long axis of skull.
Mammals	Zalambdodont	Molars having a lateral, V
Mangroves	Abaxial	Abaxial means being located on the side away from the axis. The abaxial surface of a leaf is its underside.
Mangroves	Abiotic	Non-living; part of physical environment.
Mangroves	Acuminate	Tapering gradually to a protracted point.
Mangroves	Acute	Terminating in a distinct but not protracted point, the converging edges forming an angle of less than 90 degrees.
Mangroves	Adventitious roots	Arising in abnormal positions of roots from the shoot system.
Mangroves	Aerial root	Specialized roots in mangrove plants that are exposed to the air, at least during low tide.
Mangroves	Alternate	Leaves occurring at different levels successively along a stem.
Mangroves	Annual	Plant that completes its life cycle from seed to seed in a single year (or season).
Mangroves	Anther	The portion of a stamen which bears the pollen.
Mangroves	Apiculate	A short, sharp, flexible point.
Mangroves	Aril	An appendage growing at or near the hilum of a seed; fleshy thickening of the seed coat (e.g. in Myristicaceae).
Mangroves	Aroid	Member of the Araceae family.
Mangroves	Asexual	A sexual orientation characterized by a persistent lack of sexual attraction to any gender.
Mangroves	Axil	The point of the upper angle formed between the axis of a stem and a leaf (stalk).
Mangroves	Axillary	Arising from the axil, as in an axillary bud at the end.
Mangroves	Axillary spines	The axillary spine is a spine that develops in the axil (the angle between the stem and the leaf) of a plant.
Mangroves	Bark	The bark is the outer covering of the trunk, branches, and roots of trees.
Mangroves	Basal	Arising from the base of a stem beneath a terminal flower.
Mangroves	Beaked	Narrowed or prolonged tip.
Mangroves	Berry	A fleshy fruit developing from a single female reproductive organ may be applied to any fruit which is fleshy or pulpy throughout, i.e. without a stony pit or core.
Mangroves	Bifurcate	Forked in two.
Mangroves	Bipinnate	Twice divided compound leaf, with leaflets on opposite sides.
Mangroves	Brackish	Slightly to saline/ salty but not having the salinity of seawater.
Mangroves	Bryophyte	Mosses.
Mangroves	Buttress root	A stout vertically flattened root growing from near the base of the stem.
Mangroves	Cable root	A slender root which spreads horizontally outwards from the plant.
Mangroves	Calyx	The calyx is the sepals of a flower.
Mangroves	Canopy	The uppermost layer of branches and leaves of a single tree or forest.
Mangroves	Capsule	A capsule is a seed pod that opens when it is dry and the seeds are mature.
Mangroves	Carpel	A simple pistil or single-celled ovary or seed vessel.
Mangroves	Catkin	Spikelike flower cluster, sometimes drooping.
Mangroves	Circumscissile	Splitting or opening along a circumference with the top coming off as a lid.
Mangroves	Clump- forming	Growing closely together in a compact cluster or group.
Mangroves	Columnar trees	Trunk of tree is tall and straight.
Mangroves	Compound leaf	Many leaflets present on either side of the rachis
Mangroves	Cone roots	A vertical extensions from cable roots
Mangroves	Cordate leaf	A cordate leaf has a heart shape, with the wide part towards the petiole.
Mangroves	Corolla	The corolla consists of the petals of a flower.
Mangroves	Cosmopolitan	Found all over the globe.
Mangroves	Cotyledons	The seed-leaves or embryonic leaf.
Mangroves	Cymes	A flat topped inflorescence in which the centre flower opens first.
Mangroves	Deciduous	Shedding its leaves periodically (e.g. during dry season).
Mangroves	Dichotomous	Branching that result from division of a growing point into two equal parts, giving repeated forking.
Mangroves	Dicotyledons	With two cotyledons, i.e. primary leaves of the embryo; includes most seed plants.
Mangroves	Dioecious	Male and female flowers present in different plants.
Mangroves	Domatium	Crevice or hollow in some plants, serving as lodging for insects (esp. ants) or mites.
Mangroves	Emarginate	Notched at the tip or apex.
Mangroves	Endemic	Endemic plants are native to an area and are only found in that area.
Mangroves	Endosperm	A tissue containing stored food, surrounding and nourishing the embryo.
Mangroves	Ephemeral	Temporary, soon disappearing.
Mangroves	Epigeal	Of or relating to the emergence of cotyledons above the surface of the ground.
Mangroves	Epiphyte	Growing on another plant (usually an herb growing on a tree), without being rooted in soil.
Mangroves	Erect	Vertical or upright.
Mangroves	Estuarine	Of, relating to, or found in an estuary.
Mangroves	Evergreen	Not shedding its leaves.
Mangroves	Fissured	Deeply grooved.
Mangroves	Fissured bark	Bark that splits or cracks.
Mangroves	Flaky bark	Barks that falls of in flakes or thin sheets.
Mangroves	Flanged	A projecting rim or edge.
Mangroves	Fluted trunk	Spreading outward towards the bottom.
Mangroves	Foliaceous	Like a leaf in shape.
Mangroves	Frond	Palm leaf.
Mangroves	Gall	Abnormal outgrowth from plant leaf (or stem) caused by the presence of young insects (e.g. gall wasps).
Mangroves	Germination	Germination is the beginning of growth of a plant from its seed.
Mangroves	Gland	An appendage or other structure on a plant which secretes sticky or oily substances.
Mangroves	Glossy	Smooth and shining.
Mangroves	Gregarious	Large numbers of the same species occurring together at a single site (not necessarily compact).
Mangroves	Halophyte	Plant that only occurs in salty, saline areas.
Mangroves	Hemi- parasite	A plant that partially parasites on a host, but supplements this with its own (often feeble) photosynthesis; can exist without a host.
Mangroves	Hilum	Scar left at former point of attachment.
Mangroves	Holotype	A single type specimen upon which the description and name of a new species is based.
Mangroves	Hybrid	Individual produced as a result of cross between two different species.
Mangroves	Hypocotyl	Portion of the embryonic stem below the cotyledons (i.e. the primary leaves of the embryo).
Mangroves	Hypogeal	Emergence of cotyledons below the surface of the ground.
Mangroves	Inflorescence	Arrangement of flowers or flower cluster.
Mangroves	Internodes	The part between two nodes or joints.
Mangroves	Keeled	A prominent, longitudinal ridge.
Mangroves	Knee roots	Above ground roots shaped like a knee.
Mangroves	Lagoon	Body of seawater (often shallow) that is (almost) disconnected from the sea.
Mangroves	Latex	A thick, milky juice.
Mangroves	Leaflet	A division of a compound (i.e. subdivided) leaf.
Mangroves	Lenticel	A special pore in the bark of trees and shrubs allows air pass in to inner tissues often with characteristic shape, colour and size.
Mangroves	Liana	A woody climbing plant, usually of (semi) tropics.
Mangroves	Ligule	A tongue- shaped or strap- shaped organ.
Mangroves	Littoral	The intertidal zone.
Mangroves	Margin	The edge of a leaf.
Mangroves	Midrib	The central rib or vein of a leaf.
Mangroves	Monocotyledons	With one cotyledon, i.e. primary leaf of the embryo; includes groups such as grasses, sedges, orchids and lilies.
Mangroves	Mucronate	Leaf apex usually broad, terminated by a short stiff point called mucro.
Mangroves	Nerve	A prominent, simple vein or rib of a leaf.
Mangroves	Nodes	Knob or joint of a stem at which leaves arise.
Mangroves	Oblong	Elongated, two or four times longer than broad.
Mangroves	Obovate	Inversely egg- shaped and ends with the broader region.
Mangroves	Obovoid	Pear shaped.
Mangroves	Obtuse	Blunt at the end, forming greater than right angle.
Mangroves	Opposite	Two leaves borne on either side of a branch at a single node.
Mangroves	Palm-like	A plant whose leaf is divided into several leaflets which arise from the same point.
Mangroves	Panicle	An inflorescence divided into branches, compound.
Mangroves	Pantropical	Occurring in all of the tropical regions of the world.
Mangroves	Peltate	A leaf with the stalk usually attached centrally beneath the leaf blade.
Mangroves	Pencil roots	A vertical extension from cable roots.
Mangroves	Perennial	Plant which lives for more than one year.
Mangroves	Phenology	Occurrence of flowering and fruiting events.
Mangroves	Pimple	A projections on the surface of the trunk.
Mangroves	Pinnate	A compound leaf with leaves arranged on opposite sides of an elongated axis.
Mangroves	Pitcher	Plant a member of the Nepenthaceae family, characteristically with leaf-ends that are modified into vessels that contain rain water and enzymes and serve to trap insects.
Mangroves	Pneumatophore	A respiratory root which rises above the soil surface or spongy/ corky aerial roots arising from cable roots, variable in shape including peg, conical, pencil and knee.
Mangroves	Pod	A dry fruit that opens at maturity, e.g. of legumes (Legiminosae).
Mangroves	Pollen	Pollen is the male reproductive cell of flowering plants and cone-bearing plants.
Mangroves	Pollination	Pollination is the process in which the male's pollen fertilizes the female's ovule and creates a seed.
Mangroves	Prop roots	Aerial roots that form on the stem above ground, also called stilt roots.
Mangroves	Propagule	A structure, such as seed or spore, which gives rise to a new plant.
Mangroves	Pubescent	Softly hairy, covered with short, soft fine hairs.
Mangroves	Raceme	An unbranched, elongated flower cluster with flowers maturing from the bottom towards top.
Mangroves	Rattan	A climbing palm.
Mangroves	Resilience	The ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape.
Mangroves	Reticulate	Like a net.
Mangroves	Revolute	Rolled downwards or to the lower side.
Mangroves	Rhizome	An underground horizontal stem.
Mangroves	Riparian	Along the river or stream.
Mangroves	River banks	A bank generally refers to the land alongside a body of water.
Mangroves	Rosette	A radiating cluster of leaves as in a dandelion.
Mangroves	Scales	Flat, plate-like external structure, formed from the epidermis often visible only if viewed under magnification.
Mangroves	Scandent	Climbing, without use of tendrils, hooks, etc.
Mangroves	Secondary leaflets	A (further) division of a leaflet (see above)
Mangroves	Sedge	Grass-like herb of the Cyperaceaefamily
Mangroves	Sepal	Small leaves located directly under a flower they are the outermost part of a flower. Collectively, the sepals are called the calyx.
Mangroves	Sessile	Immovable.
Mangroves	Sexual	Sexual dimorphism is characteristic of having two different forms, one for the males and another for the females of a species.
Mangroves	Sheath	Organ that (partially) surrounds another organ (e.g. a leaf base).
Mangroves	Shrub-like	Smaller plants with main stems divided into many sub stems.
Mangroves	Sickle-shaped	Shaped like a sickle, a curved knife
Mangroves	Simple leaf	Single, undivided piece, applied to leaves.
Mangroves	Sinuous	Curving like a meandering stream.
Mangroves	Sorus	Cluster of sporangia on the surface of a fern leaf (plural = sori).
Mangroves	Spat(h)ulate	Leaf shaped like a spatula.
Mangroves	Spike	An unbranched, elongated flower cluster with (sub-) sessile flowers, maturing from the bottom upwards.
Mangroves	Spikelet	A secondary spike.
Mangroves	Sporangium	Spore-bearing case or sac (of fern) (plural = sporangia).
Mangroves	Spore	Reproductive cell of a fern.
Mangroves	Spur	Small, hook-like appendage.
Mangroves	Spurred	Bearing of small, hook-like appendage.
Mangroves	Stalk	Petiole, peduncle or stem.
Mangroves	Stamen	The male organ of the flower consisting of the pollen- bearing anther and its stalk.
Mangroves	Standard	The upper and usually largest petal of a Papillionaceae flower.
Mangroves	Sterile	Infertile, non-reproductive, not able to reproduce stigma.
Mangroves	Stilt root	A root arising from the stem some distance above the ground and affording.
Mangroves	Stolon	Creeping plant’s stem or runner, capable of developing rootlets and stem, and ultimately developing new individuals.
Mangroves	Succulent	Plant with juicy, thick leaves and thickened stems; often occurs in dry and desert conditions or physiologically dry conditions such as with high salinity.
Mangroves	Suture	Line where two parts are joined, and often split apart.
Mangroves	Swampy	Characteristic of or resembling a swamp.
Mangroves	Tendril	A slender, twining organ used to grasp support for climbing.
Mangroves	Terminal	Located at the end, e.g. of a branch or twig.
Mangroves	Terrestrial	Occurring on land.
Mangroves	Thicket	A thick clump of shrubs, often impenetrable.
Mangroves	Thyrse	Having a number of simple dichasial cymes arranged in a recemose manner on an elongated peduncle.
Mangroves	Tree	Higher woody plant, usually with one major trunk.
Mangroves	Umbel	An inflorescence consisting of a number of flower stalks or pedicels.
Mangroves	Tussock	Grasses or sedges growing closely together in a compact cushion.
Mangroves	Vegetative	The vegetative state is the stage in a flowering plant's life cycle before the appearance of its fruiting structures.
Mangroves	Vein	A vascular bundle, usually visible externally, e.g. on the leaf surface.
Mangroves	Vine forest	Certain type of evergreen, tropical forest that is particularly abundant in climbers (e.g. in parts of Queensland, Australia).
Mangroves	Viviparous	Sprouting on the parent plant (e.g. many Rhizophoraceae).
Mangroves	Wetland	An area that is either permanently, periodically or occasionally covered with fresh, brackish or saline water.
Mangroves	Whorls (flowers)	A ring-like arrangement of flowers from a common point or node.
Mangroves	Whorls (leaves)	A ring-like arrangement of leaves from a common point or node.
Mangroves	Wing	Thin, flat margin bordering the fruit.
Mangroves	Zonation	Distribution in zones or regions of definite character.
Mangroves	Zygomorphic	Having only one plane of symmetry, usually the vertical plane, referring to a flower, calyx or corolla.
Opisthobranchia	Aeolid	A nudibranch belonging to the major group (suborder) Aeolidina.
Opisthobranchia	Annulate	A shape that consists of rings or ring
Opisthobranchia	Anterior	Toward the front of the body.
Opisthobranchia	Aperture	The single large terminal orifice of a shell through which the head foot is extruded.
Opisthobranchia	Apertural sinus	Recurved notch in margin of aperture of a shell.
Opisthobranchia	Apex	Narrow first formed part of shell, typically bearing a protoconch (the tip of the spire).
Opisthobranchia	Apical	Relating to the tip or apex.
Opisthobranchia	Autotomy	A defensive behaviour in which an animal deliberately casts off part of its body (usually the mantle or cerata).
Opisthobranchia	Axial	Describes direction of shell sculpture that is more or less parallel to the coiling axis.
Opisthobranchia	Benthic	Refers to an organism living on or in the substrate.
Opisthobranchia	Bifid	Divided by a deep cleft into two parts.
Opisthobranchia	Bipinnate	With small side branches arising on two sides of the main stem or axis (refers to the gill).
Opisthobranchia	Bivalves	An exclusively aquatic class of molluscs that has two shells that are typically symmetrical along the hinge line and feed by siphoning and filtering particles from the water.
Opisthobranchia	Body whorl	One complete spiral turn of a univalve shell.
Opisthobranchia	Branchial pocket	A cavity in the posterior midline of a dorid’s body into which the gills can be retracted.
Opisthobranchia	Buccal	Referring to the mouth or mouth cavity.
Opisthobranchia	Carnivorous	Literally a meat
Opisthobranchia	Caryophyllidia	Specialised spiculose tubercles on the mantle surface of some cryptobranchdorids.
Opisthobranchia	Cerata	(singular ceras) Finger
Opisthobranchia	Caruncle	Elevated ridge or lobe with presumed sensory function.
Opisthobranchia	Caudal	Relating to the tail.
Opisthobranchia	Chloroplasts	The plastid within a plant cell that contains chlorophyll and is the site of photosynthesis.
Opisthobranchia	Cilia	Fine hair
Opisthobranchia	Clavus	The distal portion of the rhinophore above the stalk. It is often expanded and ornamented with lamellae or papillae.
Opisthobranchia	Club	See clavus.
Opisthobranchia	Cnidosac	A small cavity at the apex of each ceras of aeolids in which unexploded nematocysts aquired from the cnidarian food are stored.
Opisthobranchia	Columella	The pillar forming the central axis of the shell around which the whorls spiral of a shell.
Opisthobranchia	Columellar lip	Inner lip of aperture of a shell.
Opisthobranchia	Crenulate	Finely notched; regularly indented.
Opisthobranchia	Cryptic	Body camouflaged to resemble part of the microhabitat; or possessing secretive behaviour.
Opisthobranchia	Cryptobranch gill	Gills of doridnudibranchs which can be retracted completely into a branchial pocket below the notum.
Opisthobranchia	Distal	That section of an organ or appendage which is most remote from the point of attachment to the body.
Opisthobranchia	Digestive diverticulum	A branch of the digestive gland within a ceras.
Opisthobranchia	Dorid	Nudibranchs with a circle of gills surrounding the anus in the midline towards the rear of the body, belonging to the major group (suborder) Doridina.
Opisthobranchia	Dorsal	The top surface of the animal.
Opisthobranchia	Dorsum	(= notum) The exposed back or top surface of a nudibranch mantle.
Opisthobranchia	Endemic	A species that is restricted to one or few localities in its distribution.
Opisthobranchia	Epiphytic	Referring to organisms living on the surface of a plant.
Opisthobranchia	Filament	A slender thread
Opisthobranchia	Foot	The large muscle mass on which gastropods move.
Opisthobranchia	Fusiform	Spindle shaped.
Opisthobranchia	Gill	(= branchia) The respiratory organ. Either in the form of single leaflets (hence pinnate) or with side branches (bipinnate or tripinnate).
Opisthobranchia	Gizzard	A modified region of the gut used for masticating food.
Opisthobranchia	Habitat	The natural environment in which an organism lives.
Opisthobranchia	Herbivorous	Feeding on plant material (e.g. Seaweed, encrusting microalgae).
Opisthobranchia	Hermaphrodite	Bisexual; an individual possessing functional male and female reproductive organs and capable of producing both sperm and eggs.
Opisthobranchia	Hyponotum	The under surface of the mantle.
Opisthobranchia	In situ	Refers to the natural environment of an animal.
Opisthobranchia	Incised	A deep etching or mark on the shell surface.
Opisthobranchia	Infaunal	Living within the substrate.
Opisthobranchia	Infrapallial lobe	Posterior fold of body enclosing shell of cephalaspideans.
Opisthobranchia	Inner lip	Inner margin of aperture overlying columellar of a shell.
Opisthobranchia	Intertidal	The area of foreshore that lies between high tide (when it is covered by water) and low tide (when it is exposed to the air).
Opisthobranchia	Intraspecific variation	Refers to natural variation in one or more charcters between individuals of the same species.
Opisthobranchia	Involute	Refers to the spire of the shell of the family Bullidae, which is sunk below the level of the apex.
Opisthobranchia	Jaws	Thickened, horny plates within the buccal cavity.
Opisthobranchia	Lamellate	(= perfoliate) Rhinophores bearing plates on the posterior face of the stalk or clavus.
Opisthobranchia	Lappets	Muscular plates or extensions associated with the mouth.
Opisthobranchia	Last whorl	The last most recently formed whorl of gastropod shell.
Opisthobranchia	Lateral	Relating to the side.
Opisthobranchia	Larvae (singular: lava)	The juvenile stage of an animal prior to its undergoing metamorphosis into an adult. Its form can be completely different to the adult.
Opisthobranchia	Lecithotrophic	Relates to the type of development in which larvae utilise only the reserves of yolk in the egg to nourish themselves.
Opisthobranchia	Mantle	The organ secreting the shell of molluscs. It develops into the layer that covers the body in opisthobranchs without a shell.
Opisthobranchia	Margin	The outer edge of the mantle.
Opisthobranchia	Medial	Towards the middle or midline.
Opisthobranchia	Metamorphosis	A biological process whereby an animal develops by undergoing a physical and abrupt change in form often accompanied by a change in habitat and behaviour.
Opisthobranchia	Metapodium – Posterior extension of the mantle.
Opisthobranchia	Nekton	Permanently floating at the surface of the ocean.
Opisthobranchia	Nematocyst	The stinging organ of the Cnidaria (a microscopic capsule with a coiled thread that rapidly unwinds on discharge). Present in hydroids, sea anemones, corals, etc. Aeolidnudibranchs separate the nematocysts from the remainder of the hydroid tissues and pass them, unexpoded, through the digestive diverticulum in the cerata to the cnidosac at the tip where they are used for the aeolid’s own defense.
Opisthobranchia	Nocturnal	Active at night.
Opisthobranchia	Notum	(= dorsum) The exposed back or top surface of a nudibranch mantle.
Opisthobranchia	Nudibranch	Technically a member of the order Nudibranchia of the subclass Opisthobranchia (sea slugs). Equivalent of Opisthobranch in much popular literature.
Opisthobranchia	Operculum	A horny or calciferous plate that partially or completely closes the aperture
Opisthobranchia	On retraction into the shell.
Opisthobranchia	Opisthobranch	Technically a member of the subclass Gastropoda (includes bubble snails, sea hares, sea butterflies, caddis slugs, sap
Opisthobranchia	Oral tentacle	Tentacle (or flap) around the mouth; used for food location and recognition.
Opisthobranchia	Oral veil	A membranous extension of the head above the mouth.
Opisthobranchia	Outer lip	Outer edge of aperture of a shell.
Opisthobranchia	Palmate	Having a shape in the likeness of a hand with the fingers extended.
Opisthobranchia	Papilla	(plural papillae) A small, delicate, finger
Opisthobranchia	Parapodia	Flap
Opisthobranchia	Pelagic	Passively drifting or floating at the sea surface; drifting with currents or winds.
Opisthobranchia	Pericardium	Sac
Opisthobranchia	Periostracum	The horny outermost layer of gastropod and bivalve shells.
Opisthobranchia	Phanerobranch gill	Gills of doridnudibranchs that cannot be withdrawn into a branchial pocket beneath the notum. They can only be contracted into a tight group above the notum.
Opisthobranchia	Pinnate	Bearing side branches; branched as to resemble a feather.
Opisthobranchia	Planktotrophic	Relates to the type of development in which larvae actively feed on micro
Opisthobranchia	Plicate	Folded.
Opisthobranchia	Posterior	Towards the rear of the body.
Opisthobranchia	Propodial	Located at the anterior part of the foot.
Opisthobranchia	Protoconch	Larval shell of a gastropod. Smallest spiral tip of a shell.
Opisthobranchia	Pustule	(= tubercle) A low, conical, rounded or uneven swelling on the notum.
Opisthobranchia	Radula	A flexible, cuticularised feeding organ contained within the buccal cavity; bears numerous minute teeth.
Opisthobranchia	Respiration	Exchange of gases between the environment and the organism.
Opisthobranchia	Reticulum	Network; any reticulated system or structure.
Opisthobranchia	Rhinophore	Sensory tentacle on the head, or anterior section of the mantle, of opisthobranchs.
Opisthobranchia	Rhinophoral pocket	The cavity into which the rhinophore of a doridnudibranch can be withdrawn.
Opisthobranchia	Rhinophoral sheath	Upstanding flange from the antero
Opisthobranchia	Sculpture	Surface structure and ornamentation on shell surface.
Opisthobranchia	Siphon	Elongation of mantle edge to form a tube for water flow.
Opisthobranchia	Shell	The molluscan shell is a calcareous exoskeleton which encloses, supports and protects the soft parts of the animal. It is formed, repaired and maintained by the mantle. In opisthobranchs it may be reduced, internal or completely lost in the adult.
Opisthobranchia	Spawn	Mass of eggs embedded in transparent jelly.
Opisthobranchia	Spicule	A minute rod or star
Opisthobranchia	Spire	The visible part of all the whorls except the last (shell body) whorl.
Opisthobranchia	Striate	Marked with fine grooves.
Opisthobranchia	Subapical	Section below the apex or tip.
Opisthobranchia	Substrate	The type of sea floor on which a benthic organism lives and grows.
Opisthobranchia	Symbiosis	Describes a close and often long term interaction between different species usually where both organisms benefit.
Opisthobranchia	Tentacle	Projecting sensory appendage associated with the head or mouth.
Opisthobranchia	Tripinnate	With small side branches arising from three sides of the main stem or axis (refers to the gill).
Opisthobranchia	Truncate	shortened abruptly, squared off.
Opisthobranchia	Uniseriate	In relation to the arrangement of teeth in the radula where there is a single tooth in each row.
Opisthobranchia	Ventral	The underside of the animal.
Opisthobranchia	Viscera	The soft interior organs of the body.
Opisthobranchia	Whorl	One complete spiral turn of a univalve shell.
Opisthobranchia	Zooxanthellae	Symbiotic dinoflagellates in many
Polychaeta	Abdomen	body region posterior to the thorax, sometimes followed by a tail.
Polychaeta	Abyssal	oceanic waters between depths of 4000 m and 6000 m.
Polychaeta	Achaetigerous	seeachaetous.
Polychaeta	Achaetous	without chaetae.
Polychaeta	Acicula, aciculae	a stout supportive chaeta found internally in projecting parapodial rami.
Polychaeta	Acicular chaeta	stout, projecting chaeta.
Polychaeta	Acicular muscle	see oblique muscle.
Polychaeta	Acoelomate	pertaining to animals lacking a coelom.
Polychaeta	Aileron	accessory jaw plate in glyceridae.
Polychaeta	Anal cirrus, anal cirri	see pygidial cirrus
Polychaeta	Anal plaque	depressed (or sunken) plate-like pygidium of some maldanids and other polychaetes.
Polychaeta	Annulated	ringed or marked with grooves delineating segments.
Polychaeta	Antenna, antennae	sensory projection arising from the dorsal, lateral or frontal surface of the prostomium.
Polychaeta	Antennular auricle	= auricule.
Polychaeta	Antennular membrane	see cephalic veil.
Polychaeta	Anterior gut	see foregut.
Polychaeta	Apical tooth	see primary tooth.
Polychaeta	Apodous	segments without parapodia.
Polychaeta	Apomorphy	an advanced or derived feature; compare plesiomorphy.
Polychaeta	Arborescent	branching like a tree.
Polychaeta	Arenicoliform	body forms that are swollen anteriorly and tapered posteriorly.
Polychaeta	Arista, aristae	fine hair-like or bristle-like structure.
Polychaeta	Aristate chaeta	simple chaeta with smooth shaft and a tuft of hairs or a single spine distally.
Polychaeta	Article	demarcated sections of chaetae or cirri separated by joints.
Polychaeta	Articulate	jointed, as in antennae, tentacular cirri, palps and dorsal cirri.
Polychaeta	Asetigerous	seeachaetigerous.
Polychaeta	Atoke	non-sexual, unmodified state of an individual in some polychaete groups; pertaining to species which undergo epitoky.
Polychaeta	Auricule	paired ear-shaped processes at the base of an antenna (ceratophore) characteristic of some sigalionids.
Polychaeta	Autapomorphy	a derived character unique to a particular taxon.
Polychaeta	Avicular	beaked; shaped like a bird’s head.
Polychaeta	Axial	pertaining to, or situated on the axis.
Polychaeta	Basal lappet	= auricule.
Polychaeta	Benthic	pertaining to the sea floor.
Polychaeta	Benthonic	pertaining to the benthon or community of organisms that inhabit the sea floor.
Polychaeta	Biarticulate	with two joints; pertaining to antennae, tentacular cirri, palps and dorsal cirri.
Polychaeta	Bidentate chaeta	chaeta with two teeth distally.
Polychaeta	Bifid	distally split in two; usually pertaining to chaetae.
Polychaeta	Bifurcate chaeta	simple chaeta with two prongs.
Polychaeta	Bilabiate	with two lips, usually about parapodial lobes.
Polychaeta	Bilimbate chaeta	simple chaeta with two wings; see limbate.
Polychaeta	Bipectinate	branching like a feather from a central axis; similar to pinnate, but branches coarser.
Polychaeta	Bipinnate	a structure that is pinnate for both its primary and secondary divisions; see pinnate.
Polychaeta	Biramousparapodium	parapodium with two branches, a notopodium and a neuropodium.
Polychaeta	Blade	a distal, flattened portion of a compound or simple chaeta.
Polychaeta	Boss	small projection or knob-like process in compound and simple chaetae.
Polychaeta	Brain	ganglionic mass situated at least in part in the prostomium.
Polychaeta	Branchia, branchiae	extension of the body wall with a loop of the vascular system; usually well equipped with capillary blood-vessels.
Polychaeta	Branchial crown	seeradiolar crown.
Polychaeta	Branchiole	seeradiole.
Polychaeta	Bristle	see chaeta.
Polychaeta	Brush-tipped chaeta	seepenicillate chaeta.
Polychaeta	Buccal cavity	mouth cavity.
Polychaeta	Buccal cirri	cirri in or around the mouth; sensory function rather than feeding (cf. Buccal tentacles).
Polychaeta	Buccal organ	anterior part of alimentary canal derived from larval stomodaeum, comprising a complex set of folds, musculature and glands; see pharynx, proboscis; see also ventral buccal organ.
Polychaeta	Buccal tentacles	elongate, grooved, usually ciliated appendages in or around the mouth; palpal derivatives.
Polychaeta	Bulbus	knob-like structure swollen in appearance.
Polychaeta	Caecum, caeca	blind sac arising from the alimentary canal; applied also to other organ systems, such as nephridia.
Polychaeta	Calicinate	like the calyx of a flower.
Polychaeta	Camerate	divided into chambers.
Polychaeta	Canaliculate	with a (fine) canal or groove.
Polychaeta	Capillary chaeta	slender, often long, chaeta tapering to a fine point.
Polychaeta	Capillary, capillaries	see capillary chaeta.
Polychaeta	Caruncle	projection from the posterior end of the prostomium carrying nuchal organs.
Polychaeta	Cauda	seepygidium.
Polychaeta	Caudad	towards the tail.
Polychaeta	Caudal plaque	flattenedpygidium.
Polychaeta	Cephalad	towards the head.
Polychaeta	Cephalic cage	structure formed from long, forwardly directed chaetae more or less enclosing the head.
Polychaeta	Cephalic keel	median ridge on the prostomium or head, as in some maldanidae.
Polychaeta	Cephalic peaks	seeprostomial peaks.
Polychaeta	Cephalic plaque	see cephalic plate.
Polychaeta	Cephalic plate	plate-likeantero-dorsal surface of the head region in some maldanidae and pectinariidae.
Polychaeta	Cephalic rim	flange encircling the head in some polychaetes.
Polychaeta	Cephalic veil	hood-like membrane between the paleae and the buccal tentacles in pectinariidae. See also tentacular membrane.
Polychaeta	Cephalisation	incorporation of anterior, usually modified cephalised segments, with the head (prostomium/peristomium).
Polychaeta	Cephalon	see head.
Polychaeta	Ceratophore	basal part of an antenna.
Polychaeta	Ceratostyle	distal part of an antenna.
Polychaeta	Chaeta, chaetae	achitinous bristle protruding from a pocket in the body wall.
Polychaeta	Chaetal gland	(= chaetal sac) a series of follicles in the parapodium that secrete the support rod, the hook in use, and a varying number of replacement hooks.
Polychaeta	Chaetal inversion	presence of uncini on the notopodia rather than the more usual position on the neuropodia.
Polychaeta	Chaetiger	segment bearing chaetae.
Polychaeta	Chaetigerous lobe	that projection or part of the notopodium or neuropodium which bears the chaetae.
Polychaeta	Chaetoblast	cell which forms, together with follicle cell, a chaeta.
Polychaeta	Chevron	v-shapedchitinised jaw piece at the base of the eversible pharynx in some goniadidae.
Polychaeta	Chromaphil gland	seechromatophil gland.
Polychaeta	Chromatophil gland	densely staining gland in the ventral pinnule oftomopteris; see also rosette gland.
Polychaeta	Chromatophore	special cell or group of cells carrying pigment.
Polychaeta	Ciliophore	distinct area or epidermal patch covered with cilia.
Polychaeta	Circular muscle	muscle layer encircling the body between the epidermis and longitudinal muscle layer.
Polychaeta	Circumoesophageal connective	tracts of nervous tissue passing down from the brain on either side of the foregut and connecting to the ventral nerve cord.
Polychaeta	Circumoral tentacles	see tentacles.
Polychaeta	Cirriform	slender and cylindrical.
Polychaeta	Cirrophore	basal projection on which a cirrus is mounted.
Polychaeta	Cirrostyle	distal part of a cirrus or tentacle.
Polychaeta	Cirrus, cirri	sensory appendage; usually slender and cylindrical.
Polychaeta	Clade	a complete set of taxa with a common ancestor.
Polychaeta	Cladistics	classification of taxa based on lines of evolutionary descent, and, in principle, recognising only clades.
Polychaeta	Clavate	club-shaped.
Polychaeta	Coelom, coelomate	body cavity with peritoneal lining; formed in embryonic mesoderm; characteristic of almost all bilateral animals; lined with epithelium termed the peritoneum.
Polychaeta	Coelomocytes	amoebocytes present in the coelom.
Polychaeta	Coelomoduct	a tubule derived from coelomic tissue, connecting the coelom with the external environment; often combined with nephridium and termed nephromixia.
Polychaeta	Coelomostome	funnel at the inner end of a coelomoduct.
Polychaeta	Cold seep	emergence of fluid from sedimentary rocks under pressure, such as in regions of continental subduction; may comprise hydrocarbons, such as methane, or water, bearing salts such as sulphides.
Polychaeta	Collar	anterior encircling fold or flap, such as that covering the base of the radiolar crown in sabellidae and serpulidae.
Polychaeta	Comb chaeta	simple chaeta with a comb-like arrangement of teeth on the distal end; present in some eunicida.
Polychaeta	Commensalism	an association between two species that live together, which benefits individuals of one species without harming those of the other.
Polychaeta	Commissure	a transverse band of neural tissue linking paired ventral nerves or longitudinal nerve tracks; one of four main tracts of nervous tissue passing through the brain.
Polychaeta	Companion chaetae	small, simple chaetae, accompanying, or alternating with larger chaetae, usually hooks of some kind.
Polychaeta	Compensatory vessel	see contractile vessel.
Polychaeta	Composite chaeta	see compound chaeta.
Polychaeta	Compound chaeta	chaeta having a terminal portion which articulates with the shaft.
Polychaeta	Compressed	flattened in one plane, usually laterally.
Polychaeta	Consecutive hermaphroditism	change from one sex to another in an individual; may be protandrous, protogynous, or bi-directional.
Polychaeta	Copragogue	see faecal groove.
Polychaeta	Cordate, cordiform	heart-shaped.
Polychaeta	Cristate	bearing a ridge or crest.
Polychaeta	Crotchet	see hook.
Polychaeta	Crown	a bilaterally symmetrical branched structure in some polychaetes formed by prostomialpalps.
Polychaeta	Ctenidium, ctenidia	a finger-shaped or flattened structure presumed to have a respiratory function.
Polychaeta	Ctenognath	arrangement of complex jaw apparatus in which the jaws comprise relatively large basal maxillae and symmetrically arranged rows of numerous anterior denticles in longitudinal series without carriers.
Polychaeta	Cuticular shield	stiff, iron-impregnated shield on the posterior venter of sternaspidae; see sternal shield.
Polychaeta	Cuticle	thin, non-cellular protective layer produced by and overlying the epidermis in many invertebrate groups; consists mainly of scleroprotein (not chitin).
Polychaeta	Cutis	see dermis.
Polychaeta	Cutting plate	distal part of eunicean mandible.
Polychaeta	Deciduous	pertaining to structures easily autotomised, or shed by the animal as a defensive reaction.
Polychaeta	Dendrites	branching cytoplasmic processes of sensory cells.
Polychaeta	Dental formula	notation showing the distribution of teeth on the crest of a hook or uncinus.
Polychaeta	Dentate	toothed.
Polychaeta	Denticle	a minute tooth.
Polychaeta	Denticulate	finely toothed.
Polychaeta	Depressed	flattened, usually dorso-ventrally.
Polychaeta	Dermis	layer of skin underlying the epidermis; comprises connective tissue and a range of other cell types, such as pigment and nerve cells.
Polychaeta	Detritus	particles of organic origin.
Polychaeta	Diagonal muscle	obliquely aligned dorso-ventral muscle in the body wall (cf. Oblique muscle).
Polychaeta	Digitiform	finger-shaped.
Polychaeta	Dioecious	(= gonochorism, gonochoric) pertaining species, in which individuals are either male or female throughout life.
Polychaeta	Direct developers	embryos that develop completely into juveniles without intermediate larval stages.
Polychaeta	Distal	that part of a structure towards the end.
Polychaeta	Diverticulum, diverticula	blind tube(s) or sac-like extension(s) of the lumen of an organ.
Polychaeta	Dorsal blood vessel	longitudinal vessel which carries blood forward through the body; situated above the gut.
Polychaeta	Dorsal cirrus	cirrus normally situated on the upper edge of the notopodium.
Polychaeta	Dorsal cirrus organ	sensory organ, with numerous long cilia at the ventral base of the dorsal cirrus in eunicida.
Polychaeta	Dorsum	dorsal surface of body.
Polychaeta	Dorso-ventral muscle	see diagonal muscle.
Polychaeta	Echinulate	prickly.
Polychaeta	Elytrigerous segment	polychaete segment bearing a scale.
Polychaeta	Elytron, elytra	dorsal scales found in the scale-worms; homologous with the dorsal cirrostyles.
Polychaeta	Elytrophore	cirrophore carrying an elytron, as in scale-worms.
Polychaeta	Endoderm	the innermost layer of germ cells developed during gastrulation.
Polychaeta	Endothelium	epithelial cells lining the inner wall of the circulatory system.
Polychaeta	Entire margin	smooth edged; lacking papillae, teeth or other projections.
Polychaeta	Enteronephridia	blind ciliated canals opening into the stomach.
Polychaeta	Epidermis	outer layer of the skin, usually one cell thick in invertebrates; derived from ectoderm.
Polychaeta	Epigamy	structural modification of an entire adult individual polychaete into a reproductive state or epitoke (cf. Schizogamy).
Polychaeta	Epitoke	an individual polychaete morphologically modified to leave the bottom to reproduce (epitoky); epigamousepitokes result from the transformation of an atoke to the epitoke; schizogamousepitokes arise by modification and separation from the posterior end of the worm. Often swarms of epitokes appear.
Polychaeta	Eversible pharynx	part of pharynx being capable of being extended by turning the inner part outwards.
Polychaeta	Eversible proboscis	see eversible pharynx.
Polychaeta	Eye	light receptive organ which usually occurs on the prostomium but may occur elsewhere on the body or appendages.
Polychaeta	Eyespot	light sensitive structure in several polychaete groups. See ocellus.
Polychaeta	Facial tubercle	projecting ridge or lobe on the upper lip of certain polychaetes, especially scale-worms.
Polychaeta	Faecal groove	groove, on the posterior region of a tubicolouspolychaete, along which the faecal pellets pass before being voided from the tube.
Polychaeta	Falcate chaeta	distally curved, usually blunt chaeta.
Polychaeta	Falciform	hook-shaped.
Polychaeta	Falciger	compound chaeta with a stout, hooked appendage or blade.
Polychaeta	Fang	a major tooth-like projection of an uncinus, hook or maxillary plate.
Polychaeta	Fascicle	a small bundle, of tissue, such as muscle or nerve fibres, or structures, such as chaetae.
Polychaeta	Felt	matted thin chaetae produced by the notopodia in some species of scale-worms.
Polychaeta	Fenestrated	with one or more window-like openings; used to refer to the ladder-like arrangement of transparent compartments in the shaft of some polychaete chaetae.
Polychaeta	Fibrocyte	connecting tissue cell, synonymous with, or derived from a fibroblast.
Polychaeta	Filamentous	shaped like a fine thread.
Polychaeta	Filiform	slender and thread-like.
Polychaeta	Fimbricated	having flattened, leaf-like processes.
Polychaeta	Flail chaeta	abruptly tapering and distally bent capillary chaeta of some orbiniids.
Polychaeta	Flanged chaeta	seelimbate or bilimbate chaetae.
Polychaeta	Foliaceous	thin and leaf-like.
Polychaeta	Foot	seeparapodium.
Polychaeta	Foregut	anterior, cuticle-lined part of the alimentary canal including the pharynx and oesophagus; derived from the ectoderm; see also stomodaeum.
Polychaeta	Forked chaeta	see furcate chaeta.
Polychaeta	Formalin	a solution of formaldehyde in water, used for fixing tissues.
Polychaeta	Frontal palps	anterior, sensory appendages of prostomium in onuphidae.
Polychaeta	Frontal peaks	seeprostomial peaks.
Polychaeta	Furcate chaeta	short (usually), bifurcated simple chaeta.
Polychaeta	Fusiform	cigar- or spindle-shaped.
Polychaeta	Geniculate chaeta	simple chaeta formed like a bent knee.
Polychaeta	Genital hook	modifiednotopodial chaeta used in mating in some capitellidae.
Polychaeta	Genital papilla	projection on which a reproductive duct opens.
Polychaeta	Genital pore	modifiednephridial opening.
Polychaeta	Genital pouch	a pocket-like skin fold between neuropodia in some spionidae.
Polychaeta	Giant fibre	enlarged fibre in the nerve cord capable of very rapid conduction of nerve impulses.
Polychaeta	Gill	seebranchia.
Polychaeta	Gizzard	muscular, barrel-shaped part of the foregut behind the pharynx in some spionidae.
Polychaeta	Glabrous	smooth, glistening.
Polychaeta	Gonads	paired segmented peritoneal organs producing eggs or sperm.
Polychaeta	Gonochorism, gonochoric	(= dioecious) individuals are either male or female throughout life.
Polychaeta	Gonoduct	seecoelomoduct; see also nephridia in echiurans and sipunculans.
Polychaeta	Guard	paired delicate chitinous sheaths protecting the tip of some chaetae.
Polychaeta	Gular membrane	amuscularised septum between two successive anterior segments; divides the coelom into anterior and posterior parts.
Polychaeta	Gut sinus	thin-walled open chamber of circulatory system around the gut.
Polychaeta	Gynandry	development of female reproductive system before male system in consecutive hermaphrodites.
Polychaeta	Hadal	oceanic depths exceeding 6000 m.
Polychaeta	Haemerythrin	respiratory pigment in sipunculans; in different taxa may comprise two, three or eight units of polypeptide attached to two fe ions.
Polychaeta	Harpoon chaeta	stout pointed chaeta with recurved barbs near the tip.
Polychaeta	Hastate	shaped like the blade of a spear.
Polychaeta	Head	collective term used for a structure formed by the fusion of peristomium, prostomium and, in many instances, one or more cephalised segments.
Polychaeta	Hemigomph	compound chaeta with articulation which re-aligns the tip at close to a right angle to its long axis.
Polychaeta	Hermaphroditism	presence of functional male and female reproductive systems in an individual, at the same time (simultaneous hermaphroditism) or sequentially (consecutive hermaphroditism).
Polychaeta	Heterogomph	compound chaeta with articulation which clearly re-aligns the tip obliquely to the long axis of the shaft.
Polychaeta	Hindgut	posterior-most region of the alimentary canal, usually short; ectodermally derived.
Polychaeta	Hirsute	hairy, often with reference to chaetae.
Polychaeta	Hispid	minutely hairy; furry, often with reference to chaetae.
Polychaeta	Homogomph	compound chaeta with articulation which re-aligns the tip at a right angle to its long axis.
Polychaeta	Homologues	structures of common evolutionary origins, irrespective of functionality, derived from the same structure in the common ancestor.
Polychaeta	Homology	fundamental similarity in different organisms as a result of their common ancestry.
Polychaeta	Homoplasy	correspondence in morphology of different organisms as a result of evolutionary convergence or parallel evolution.
Polychaeta	Hood	a delicate chitinous envelope with a single opening, covering the apex of hooks or other chaetae (see also guards).
Polychaeta	Hook	stout-shafted, unjointed, distally-curved chaeta with or without teeth near the apex.
Polychaeta	Hyaline	transparent, glassy.
Polychaeta	Hyaline gland	gland in the pinnules of certain species oftomopteris; usually translucent, sometimes with a yellow spot in the centre.
Polychaeta	Hydrostatic skeleton	controlled support provided by muscular pressure on body fluids, especially the major venous sinuses; used to modify body or organ shape.
Polychaeta	Hydrothermal vent	site of emerging, often highly sulphidic hot water, after it has circulated through new crustal rocks at spreading ridges in the deep-sea floor.
Polychaeta	Imbricated	overlapping like tiles.
Polychaeta	Intermediate cirrus	cirriform structure attached to the body wall between the notopodium and neuropodium.
Polychaeta	Inter-ramal cirrus	acirriform structure attached to the notopodium, projecting into the space between the notopodium and the neuropodium.
Polychaeta	Intersegmental	between segments.
Polychaeta	Intestine	absorptive part of the midgut, usually a straight tube.
Polychaeta	Iteroparity	breeding in more than one season, often at regular intervals.
Polychaeta	Jaw formula	see maxillary formula.
Polychaeta	Jaws	hardened feeding or grasping apparatus with opposable units situated in the eversible pharynx.
Polychaeta	Jointed chaeta	see compound chaeta.
Polychaeta	Labial palps	ventral sensory appendages of prostomium in eunicida.
Polychaeta	Labidognath	arrangement of complex jaw apparatus in which the larger jaw pieces are located in a pocket with the smaller pieces arranged in semi-circles at the anterior end.
Polychaeta	Lacuna(e)	space(s) or cavity (cavities), usually with reference to those in tissues.
Polychaeta	Lamella, lamellae	fleshy, flattened or plate-like structure(s).
Polychaeta	Lamellate	plate-like, usually referring to a lobe.
Polychaeta	Lanceolate	pointed and shaped like a lance.
Polychaeta	Lappet	lobe or flap-like projection.
Polychaeta	Lateral caecum	blind sac arising laterally from the alimentary canal.
Polychaeta	Lateral lappet	lobe or flap-like projection on anterior segments in terebellidae.
Polychaeta	Lateral organ	small, rounded inter-ramal elevations with stiff projecting hairs; see also dorsal cirrus organ, stereocilia.
Polychaeta	Lateral shield	glandular area on the lateral venter of thoracic segments inpolycirrus;cf. Ventral pads.
Polychaeta	Lecithotrophy	form of development in which larvae generally do not feed, relying on yolk in egg.
Polychaeta	Ligule	compressed conical lobe of a parapodium;cf. Lobe.
Polychaeta	Limbate chaeta	simple chaeta with a flattened wing projecting from one side along much of its distal half; see also bilimbate.
Polychaeta	Lobe	conical process of a parapodium;cf. Ligule.
Polychaeta	Long-handled uncinus	uncinus with a long, rod-like basal extension.
Polychaeta	Longitudinal muscle	muscle layer running parallel to the long axis of the body, between the circular muscle and the peritoneum; usually arranged in two dorso-lateral and two ventro-lateral bands.
Polychaeta	Lyre chaeta, lyrate chaeta	delicate forked-type chaeta. See furcate chaeta.
Polychaeta	Macrobenthos	benthic invertebrate fraction retained in a 1 mm sieve.
Polychaeta	Macrognaths	paired lateral jaw pieces of goniadidae.
Polychaeta	Macrotubercle	see tubercle.
Polychaeta	Main fang	see fang, see also primary tooth.
Polychaeta	Mammillate	pertaining to nipple-like process.
Polychaeta	Mammiliform	breast-shaped.
Polychaeta	Mandible	ventral jaw plate in eunicida.
Polychaeta	Maxilla	dorsal jaw plate in eunicida.
Polychaeta	Maxillary carrier	posterior support for the maxillae.
Polychaeta	Maxillary formula	summary of the number and arrangement of maxillary plates and teeth in eunicida.
Polychaeta	Maxillary ring	distal part of the everted pharynx in nereididae.
Polychaeta	Medial	the mid-line regions of the body.
Polychaeta	Median	in the mid-line.
Polychaeta	Meiobenthos	benthic invertebrate fraction that passes through a 1 mm sieve but is retained on a 42mm sieve.
Polychaeta	Metamerism, metameres	segmentation of the body into a series of similar units, termed metameres.
Polychaeta	Metanephridia	type of nephridia in which the coelomic end has an open funnel
Polychaeta	Metastomium	rarely used term covering the segmented body between the prostomium/peristomium and the pygidium, but including neither.
Polychaeta	Micrognaths	numerous small jaw pieces arranged in a ring in the pharynx of goniadidae.
Polychaeta	Microtubercle	see tubercle.
Polychaeta	Microvilli	minute, very slender (>0.01 mm diameter) extensions of surface of epithelial cells.
Polychaeta	Midgut	central part of the alimentary canal comprising the stomach, when present, and the intestine; endodermal origin.
Polychaeta	Mitraria larva	larva of oweniidpolychaete; swim by ciliary action of an umbrella-like structure.
Polychaeta	Moniliform	beaded or beadlike.
Polychaeta	Monophyly, monophyletic	pertaining to a group of taxa comprising a common ancestor and all its descendants.
Polychaeta	Mouth	anterior opening of the alimentary canal; usually anterior opening of fully everted pharynx.
Polychaeta	Mucro	a sharp point or tip on an abruptly tapering structure.
Polychaeta	Mucronate	sharply pointed.
Polychaeta	Multiarticulate	with three or more joints.
Polychaeta	Multidigitate	with many finger-like lobes or projections.
Polychaeta	Mutualism	symbiotic association between two members of different species which benefits both organisms.
Polychaeta	Myo-epithelium	epidermal layer which includes contractile epithelial cells.
Polychaeta	Natatory	swimming.
Polychaeta	Nectochaete	developmental stage of an annelid following metatrochophore (up to 20 or so chaetigers); ciliation is reduced and parapodia function in locomotion.
Polychaeta	Nematoform	worm-like.
Polychaeta	Nephridial papilla	projection on which the excretory organ opens.
Polychaeta	Nephridiopore	the external opening of a metanephridium; see also nephridium.
Polychaeta	Nephridium, nephridia	excretory organ(s) opening to the exterior via a duct and a nephridiopore; fluid enters the internal end of the more primitive protonephridium through selenocytes; fluid enters the internal end of metanephridiumthough an open, ciliated funnel termed a nephrostome.
Polychaeta	Nephromixia	combinations of coelomoduct and nephridium termed protonephromixium, metanephromixium and mixonephridium; in protonephromixium, mesodermal components are fused with a protonephridial canal; in a metanephromixium, the mesodermal funnel has become joined with an open nephrostome; in a mixonephridium the coelomic end of the nephridium is completely fused with the funnel of a coelomoduct.
Polychaeta	Nephrostome	ciliated funnel of the coelomic opening of a metanephridium; see also nephridium.
Polychaeta	Nerve cord	ventral, segmentally ganglionated nerve trunk passing along the length of the body.
Polychaeta	Neuroacicula	acicula of the neuropodium.
Polychaeta	Neurochaeta	chaeta of a neuropodium.
Polychaeta	Neurocirrus	see ventral cirrus.
Polychaeta	Neurofibrils	fineproteinaceous longitudinal fibres forming a network within the nerve cell body, axons and dendrites.
Polychaeta	Neuropodium, neuropodia	ventral branch or ramus of a parapodium.
Polychaeta	Neuroseta	seeneurochaeta.
Polychaeta	Neurotroch	longitudinal ventral band of cilia in trochophore.
Polychaeta	Notoacicula	acicula of the notopodium.
Polychaeta	Notochaeta, notochaetae	chaeta of a notopodium.
Polychaeta	Notocirrus	see dorsal cirrus.
Polychaeta	Notopodium, notopodia	dorsal branch or ramus of a parapodium.
Polychaeta	Notoseta	seenotochaeta.
Polychaeta	Nototroch	regularly scattered dorsal ciliary bands on body of trochophore larva.
Polychaeta	Nuchal	pertaining to the neck.
Polychaeta	Nuchal cirrus	see nuchal papilla.
Polychaeta	Nuchal epaulettes	see nuchal organs.
Polychaeta	Nuchal organs	paired chemosensory structures situated postero-laterally on the prostomium, developed variously as pits, grooves, epaulettes, or elongated ridges.
Polychaeta	Nuchal papilla	papilla found on the posterior margin of the prostomium of some phyllodocidae and spionidae.
Polychaeta	Oblique muscle	muscle attached to the aciculae and chaetae;cf. Diagonal muscle.
Polychaeta	Occipital	pertaining to the postero-dorsal part of the prostomium.
Polychaeta	Occipital collar	a prominent fold immediately overlapping the posterior part of the prostomium.
Polychaeta	Occipital fold	see occipital collar.
Polychaeta	Occipital lappet	see occipital collar.
Polychaeta	Occipital papilla	see nuchal papilla.
Polychaeta	Ocellus, ocelli	small eye spot(s).
Polychaeta	Ocular	pertaining to the eye.
Polychaeta	Ocular peduncle	seeommatophore.
Polychaeta	Oesophageal caecum	blind sac arising from the oesophagus.
Polychaeta	Oesophagus	posterior part of the foregut connecting the pharynx to the intestine; includes the gizzard or proventricle, and caeca when present.
Polychaeta	Ommatidium	functional optic unit of the compound eyes on the tentacular crown of some sabellidans.
Polychaeta	Ommatophore	projecting structure supporting the eyes, especially in scale-worms.
Polychaeta	Oocyte	female reproductive cell; diploid primary oocyte forms, through meiosis during oogenesis, a haploid secondary oocyte which divides to form an ovum.
Polychaeta	Oogenesis	formation and development of female gametes from diploid oogonia to mature, haploid ova.
Polychaeta	Oogonia	diploid precursor of primary oocytes, derived by mitosis during oogenesis.
Polychaeta	Operculum, opercula	plug at the anterior end of some tube-dwellers which blocks the tube opening when the worm retracts.
Polychaeta	Oral cavity	mouth cavity.
Polychaeta	Oral filaments	see tentacles.
Polychaeta	Oral ring	proximal part of the everted pharynx in nereididae.
Polychaeta	Otocysts	seestatocysts.
Polychaeta	Oviduct	tube conducting eggs or oocytes to exterior.
Polychaeta	Oviparous	pertaining to deposition of eggs which develop completely and hatch externally.
Polychaeta	Ovoid	shaped like a bird’s egg.
Polychaeta	Palea, paleae	broad, usually flattened chaetae, often with a metallic sheen.
Polychaeta	Palmate	resembling the fronds of a palm.
Polychaeta	Palp, palpi	one of a set of paired, elongate or cushion-like structures arising from the sides of the head; anteroventral and sensory in many ‘errant’ polychaetes; placed postero-dorsall
Polychaeta	Palpode	tapering anterior projection of the prostomium.
Polychaeta	Palpophore	basal part of a jointed palp.
Polychaeta	Palpostyle	distal part of a jointed palp.
Polychaeta	Papilla, papillae	a small, nipple-like projection.
Polychaeta	Papillose	bearing numerous small, rounded to conical projections.
Polychaeta	Paragnath formula	summary of number and arrangement of denticles on the pharynx in nereididae.
Polychaeta	Paragnath	sclerotiniseddenticle on the pharynx in nereididae.
Polychaeta	Paraphyly, paraphyletic	pertaining to a group of taxa comprising a common ancestor but not all of its descendants; see polyphyly and monophyly.
Polychaeta	Parapodial trunk	proximal, undivided part of an elongate parapodium.
Polychaeta	Parapodium, parapodia	one of the two fleshy lateral projections from a body segment, usually bearing chaetae and sometimes greatly reduced.
Polychaeta	Paratomy	seeschizotomy.
Polychaeta	Parenchyma	mesodermal tissue surrounding, and filling spaces between organs, muscles and other tissues.
Polychaeta	Pectinate	comb-like; with series of projections arranged like the teeth of a comb.
Polychaeta	Pectinate chaeta	see comb chaeta.
Polychaeta	Pedicel	a short stalk.
Polychaeta	Penicillate chaeta	simple chaeta with a brush-like tip.
Polychaeta	Peristalsis	rhythmic, directional wave of muscular contraction in a vessel or tube.
Polychaeta	Peristome	seeperistomium.
Polychaeta	Peristomial cirri	paired, elongated cirri on the peristomium.
Polychaeta	Peristomial ring	annulus associated with the peristomium.
Polychaeta	Peristomium	presegmental region of the body that lies between the prostomium and the first segment; in many polychaetes the peristomium only forms an area around the mouth.
Polychaeta	Peritoneum	serous membrane lining the coelomic cavity.
Polychaeta	Pharyngeal organ	seebuccal organ.
Polychaeta	Pharynx, pharynges	anterior muscular part of the foregut, including the eversible proboscis.
Polychaeta	Pilose	covered with very short hairs giving a velvety appearance.
Polychaeta	Pinnate	feather-like; two rows of pinnules branching from a central axis (cf. Bipinnate; bipectinate).
Polychaeta	Pinnules	small side branches, in a feather-shaped process, such as the radiole in sabellidae and serpulidae.
Polychaeta	Piriform	seepyriform.
Polychaeta	Planktotrophic	larval development in which eggs with little yolk hatch as small, free-swimming trochophores which feed on algae in the water column.
Polychaeta	Platelet	syncytial mass of spermatozoa.
Polychaeta	Plesiomorphy	primitive retained character; compare apomorphy.
Polychaeta	Plumose	resembling down; hairy.
Polychaeta	Polyphyly	pertaining to a group comprising two or more taxa derived from distinct lineages.
Polychaeta	Polytelic	pertaining to individuals or species in which adults survive to spawn during two or more breeding seasons.
Polychaeta	Polytomy, polytomous	incompletely resolved node on tree of relationships, where several branches originate together.
Polychaeta	Polytypic	pertaining to a genus with more than one species, a family with more than one genus, etc.
Polychaeta	Postchaetal	posterior to the chaetae; used in relation to parapodial lobes or ligules.
Polychaeta	Postsetal	seepostchaetal.
Polychaeta	Prechaetal	anterior to the chaetae, used in relation to parapodial lobes or ligules.
Polychaeta	Presetal	seeprechaetal.
Polychaeta	Primary tooth	larger distal tooth of an unequally bidentate chaeta.
Polychaeta	Prionognath	arrangement of complex jaw apparatus in which the generally similar jaw-pieces are located in two rows on longitudinal ridges.
Polychaeta	Proboscis, proboscides	eversible, non-muscular part of the buccal organ (strictly); often used interchangeably with pharynx.
Polychaeta	Prostomial keel	see cephalic keel.
Polychaeta	Prostomial peaks	antero-lateral projections, often chitinised, of the prostomium in some scale-worms.
Polychaeta	Prostomium, prostomia	anteriormost, presegmental and pretrochal region of the body, sometimes bearing eyes and antennae; may not be externally recognisable.
Polychaeta	Protandry, protandrous	sequence of sexual stages, from a functional male stage to a hermaphroditic and/or a functional female stage in consecutive hermaphrodites.
Polychaeta	Protogyny, protogynous	sequence from a functional female stage to a hermaphroditic and/or a functional male stage in consecutive hermaphrodites.
Polychaeta	Protonephridia	type of nephridia in which the coelomic end is closed
Polychaeta	Protostomia, protostomes	primary grouping in bilateral animals characterised by determinate cleavage, in which the fate of cells is pre-determined; found in platyhelminthes, annelids, molluscs and arthropods.
Polychaeta	Prototroch	primary, anterior-most transverse ring of locomotory cilia on the body of the trochophore larva, lying anterior to the mouth.
Polychaeta	Proventricle	muscularised region of the anterior digestive tract occurring posterior to the pharynx; with muscle fibres arranged radially; characteristic of the syllidae.
Polychaeta	Proventriculus	seeproventricle.
Polychaeta	Proximal	part of a structure nearer to the base or main body.
Polychaeta	Psammophilic	pertaining to sand-dwelling organisms.
Polychaeta	Pseudocompound	pertaining to compound chaeta in which the articulation is incomplete.
Polychaeta	Pseudocopulation	a form of sperm transfer in some polychaete groups involving spermatophores, spermatozeugmata, or free spermatozoa.
Polychaeta	Pseudofaeces	sediment particles transported upwards from feeding depths by a polychaete worm and ejected from the tube; texturally indistinguishable from faeces.
Polychaeta	Pseudojointed	seepseudocompound.
Polychaeta	Pygidial	pertaining to the anal region or pygidium.
Polychaeta	Pygidial cirrus	cirrus projecting from the pygidium.
Polychaeta	Pygidium	post-segmental terminal part of the body surrounding the anus.
Polychaeta	Pyriform	with a broad bulbous base and tapered tip; pear- or onion-shaped.
Polychaeta	Pyriform glands	multicellular epidermal glands which secrete chitin and mucopolysaccharides to form the pogonophoran (siboglinidae) tube.
Polychaeta	Radiole, radii	primary branch in the tentacular crown in sabellidae and serpulidae.
Polychaeta	Radiolar crown	aradiolar crown is a feather-like feeding and respiratory structure comprising radioles which are basally attached to a lobe surrounding the mouth; in serpulidae and sabellidae only. See also branchial crown.
Polychaeta	Ramose	branched.
Polychaeta	Ramus, rami	branch, in relation to the dorsal or ventral branch of a parapodium.
Polychaeta	Raptorial	feeding mode involving snatching, seizing or tearing apart.
Polychaeta	Rectum	see hindgut.
Polychaeta	Reniform	kidney-shaped.
Polychaeta	Reticulate	pattern or structure forming a network or mesh.
Polychaeta	Retort organ	club-shaped gland opening into the buccal cavity in typhloscolecidae.
Polychaeta	Rhabdomere	photoreceptive element of a compound eye.
Polychaeta	Ringent chaeta	simple, subdistally expanded chaeta with a narrow slit which is internally crenulated or serrated; in euphrosinidae.
Polychaeta	Rosette gland	yellowish star-shaped glands in the pinnules of some species oftomopteris; see also chromatophil gland.
Polychaeta	Rosette	syncytial mass of spermatozoa.
Polychaeta	Rostrum	enlarged first tooth or fang of a chaeta, usually a hook or uncinus.
Polychaeta	Rugose	roughened, lumpy.
Polychaeta	Sabre chaetae, sabre-like chaetae	chaeta with a broad curved blade.
Polychaeta	Scale	see elytron.
Polychaeta	Scaphe	flattened caudal end in pectinariidae; see also pygidium.
Polychaeta	Schizogamousepitoke	seeepitoke.
Polychaeta	Schizogamy	structural modification of the adult involving the budding off of sexual individuals; see also stolons, epigamy.
Polychaeta	Schizotomy	asexual reproduction involving two forms of subdivision of the body and regeneration of the missing parts; in paratomy, a recognisable complete individual forms and then separates from the 'parent' stock; in architomy, the body breaks or fragments without any prior cephalisation.
Polychaeta	Scleroprotein	one of a group of proteins incorporated into skeletal, connective or epidermal structure.
Polychaeta	Sclerotinised	pertaining to the hardening of the exoskeleton with the quinone-tanned protein sclerotin.
Polychaeta	Secondary tooth	smaller, proximal tooth of an unequally bidentate chaeta.
Polychaeta	Segment	one of the serially repeated units comprising the trunk; often separated internally by septa.
Polychaeta	Segmental organs	organs occurring in segmental arrangement; used specifically with reference to nephridia and nephridial ducts.
Polychaeta	Selenocyte	blind-ending region at the coelomic end of the metanephridium; see also nephridium.
Polychaeta	Semelparity	death following a single reproductive season.
Polychaeta	Sensory buds	epithelial sensory/secretory structures on antennae and cirri.
Polychaeta	Septum, septa	structural partition(s) or division(s) between two visceral regions, within a haemocoel, or separating two cavities or tissue masses.
Polychaeta	Sesquigomph	seehemigomph (articulation).
Polychaeta	Sesquiramousparapodium	see sub-biramousparapodium.
Polychaeta	Sessile	pertaining to organisms attached to or situated directly on the substratum; without a stalk.
Polychaeta	Seta, setae	see chaeta, chaetae.
Polychaeta	Setal	seechaetal.
Polychaeta	Setiger	seechaetiger.
Polychaeta	Setigerous	pertaining to setae.
Polychaeta	Setigerous lobe	seechaetigerous lobe.
Polychaeta	Shaft	proximal part of a compound or simple chaeta; or proximal part of a eunicean mandible.
Polychaeta	Sheath	hyaline envelope covering a capillary chaeta.
Polychaeta	Short-handled uncinus	uncinus without a long basal extension.
Polychaeta	Sickle chaeta	simple chaeta with a sickle-shaped blade in some spirorbinae.
Polychaeta	Simple chaeta	unjointed chaeta, includes hair-like (capillary) and robust (spines) types.
Polychaeta	Simultaneous hermaphroditism	presence of functional male and female reproductive systems in an individual at the same time.
Polychaeta	Solenocytes	terminal cells at the internal end of a protonephridium; responsible for filtering waste products from the coelomic fluid.
Polychaeta	Spatulate, spathulate	simple chaeta with a broadly expanded distal margin; like a spatula; spoon-shaped.
Polychaeta	Spermathecae	seminal receptacles.
Polychaeta	Spermatid	haploid, immature precursor of spermatozoon; derived from secondary spermatocyte.
Polychaeta	Spermatogenesis	process of sperm formation from diploid primordial spermatogonia to haploid spermatozoa.
Polychaeta	Spermatogonia	the earliest germ cells in the spermatogenic sequence.
Polychaeta	Spermatophores	bundles of spermatozoa, all enclosed by a sheath or capsule isolating them from the surrounding environment; see also spermatozeugmata.
Polychaeta	Spermatozeugmata	bundles of spermatozoa which are not surrounded by an external covering; may resemble bundles of late spermatids; see also spermatophores.
Polychaeta	Spindle-shaped	shaped like a cigar with pointed ends.
Polychaeta	Spine	a thick acicular or spear-shaped chaeta; may be straight or slightly curved.
Polychaeta	Spiniger, spinigerous chaeta	compound chaeta tapering distally to a fine point.
Polychaeta	Spinning gland	gland secreting tube-forming material (threads) present in parapodia of certain scale-worms.
Polychaeta	Spinous pocket	enlarged, pocket-like serration along the margin of the chaetae of some scale-worms.
Polychaeta	Spinule	a small spine.
Polychaeta	Spinulose	bearing small spines.
Polychaeta	Squamous epithelium	epidermal layer of flattened, scale-like cells.
Polychaeta	Statocysts	paired epithelial organs at the base of the tentacular crown in sabellids that function in equilibrium and orientation.
Polychaeta	Stem cells	undifferentiated adult or embryonic cell capable of unlimited division and of giving rise to one or more cell types.
Polychaeta	Stereocilia	inter-ramal sensory cilia; see also dorsal cirrus organ, lateral organ.
Polychaeta	Sternal shield	modification of the last segments forming a ventral plate in sternaspidae; see also cuticular shield.
Polychaeta	Stolon	secondary individual formed by budding, usually from the posterior end, or elsewhere on the body.
Polychaeta	Stolonisation	form of asexual reproduction involving the formation of stolons.
Polychaeta	Stomach	glandular and/or muscular region of the midgut of most ‘sedentary’ polychaetes.
Polychaeta	Stomodaeum, stomadeum	anterior part of the embryonic alimentary canal formed as an invagination of the ectoderm; see also foregut.
Polychaeta	Striae	fine parallel marks or lines.
Polychaeta	Striated	withstriae.
Polychaeta	Stylet	a small pointed tooth-like structure.
Polychaeta	Stylode	finger-like projection associated with a parapodium, usually small and distinctly longer than wide.
Polychaeta	Sub-biramousparapodium	parapodium with a well-developed neuropodium and reduced notopodium.
Polychaeta	Suboesophageal ganglion	nerve centre at the junction of the circumoesophageal connectives and the ventral nerve cord.
Polychaeta	Subterminal	close to the apex of a structure.
Polychaeta	Subulate	awl-shaped.
Polychaeta	Subuluncinus, subuluncini	chaeta with a stout shaft tapering to a slender tip; intermediate between a capillary and an uncinus; see also aristate.
Polychaeta	Symbiont	participant in a mutualistic, commensal or parasitic relationship.
Polychaeta	Symplesiomorphy	primitive retained character shared by two or more taxa; compare synapomorphy.
Polychaeta	Synapomorphy	derived character shared by two or more taxa.
Polychaeta	Synapse	junction between two nerve cells or a nerve cell with another cell type such as muscle.
Polychaeta	Tentacles	general term for the long, paired or multiple food-gathering appendages; most are grooved and/or have a longitudinal row of cilia; see also buccal cirri, buccal tentacles, oral filaments.
Polychaeta	Tentacular cirri	dorsal and/or ventral cirri of parapodia of cephalised segments; often more elongate than those of more posterior parapodia; confused in the literature with peristomial cirri.
Polychaeta	Tentacular crown	array of elongated, longitudinally-grooved appendages on the head in terebellida; used for feeding.
Polychaeta	Tentacular membrane	thin fold or hood extending from prostomium and bearing tentacles, often on its margin.
Polychaeta	Tentacular formula	notation indicating the arrangement of the tentacular cirri and chaetae; originally used for phyllodocidae and alciopidae, now also extended to other families.
Polychaeta	Tentaculophore	basal projection on which a tentacle is mounted.
Polychaeta	Terminal tooth	see primary tooth.
Polychaeta	Tessellated	pertaining to a surface with a network of grooves like a tiled wall.
Polychaeta	Thoracic membrane	thin fold extending from the dorsal part of the collar to the ventral side of the posterior thorax in most serpulidae.
Polychaeta	Thorax	anterior region of the trunk in some polychaetes.
Polychaeta	Tine	prong of a forked-type chaeta; may be smooth or fringed with hairs
Polychaeta	Torus, tori	welt or ridge-like parapodial ramus, often with hooks or uncini.
Polychaeta	Trabeculae	struts of tissue forming a supportive or bracing framework within a space.
Polychaeta	Trepan	sclerotinised ring of teeth in the anterior pharynx of syllidae.
Polychaeta	Trichogenic cells	cells which secrete fine hair-like threads.
Polychaeta	Tridentate	with three teeth.
Polychaeta	Trochophore	early, ciliated, free-swimming, planktonic larval stage before segment proliferation begins
Polychaeta	Truncate	pertaining to a structure that ends abruptly, without tapering.
Polychaeta	Trunk	the segmented region of the body between the peristomium and pygidium.
Polychaeta	Tubercle	knob-likeprotruberance; often referring to a large (macrotubercle) or small (microtubercle) projection on the elytron of some polynoidae.
Polychaeta	Unciniger	segment carrying uncini.
Polychaeta	Uncinigerous	bearinguncini.
Polychaeta	Uncinus, uncini	deeply embedded short beak-like chaeta with a heavily dentate crest and weklydevleloped (or no) shaft; usually arranged in rows transverse to the long axis of the animal; see also long-handled uncinus.
Polychaeta	Unidentate	distally entire; often pertaining to chaetae.
Polychaeta	Uniramous parapodium	parapodium in which one ramus, most frequently the notopodium, is absent.
Polychaeta	Unjointed chaeta	see simple chaeta.
Polychaeta	Urite	projection from the pygidium.
Polychaeta	Venter, ventrum	the lower body surface.
Polychaeta	Ventral blood vessel	longitudinal vessel which carries blood posteriorly through the body; situated beneath the gut.
Polychaeta	Ventral buccal organ	variable, often complex set of folds, musculature and glands present on the ventral side of many polychaetes; see pharynx.
Polychaeta	Ventral cirrus	cirrus normally situated on the lower edge of the neuropodium.
Polychaeta	Ventral groove	longitudinal mid-ventral furrow.
Polychaeta	Ventral muscle bulb	see pharynx.
Polychaeta	Ventral pads	glandular areas on the lateral venter of thoracic segments in some eunicida, where they replace ventral cirri;cf.Lateral shields.
Polychaeta	Ventral shield	glandular, segmentally arranged pads on the mid-ventral thorax in many terebellida.
Polychaeta	Vermiform	worm-like in form.
Polychaeta	Vestimentum	body region in vestimentiferans (siboglinidae), on which lateral flaps enfold the anterior part of the body behind the plume.
Polychaeta	Villus, villi	series of small, digitate tubules arising from the contractile vessel of some sipunculans.
Polychaeta	Vitellogenesis	formation of egg yolk.
Polychaeta	Winged capillary chaeta	seelimbate or bilimbate chaetae.
Polychaeta	Zygote	product of fused haploid spermatozoa and ovum, forming a diploid cell.
Porifera	Archaeocytes (amoebocytes)	Cells with pseudopods, located in the mesohyl. They are used in processing food, distributing it to other cells, and for other functions.
Porifera	Benthic	living at or near the bottom of the seas.
Porifera	Choanocyte	also called collar cells, choanocytes line the inner cavity of the sponge. They have a sticky, funnel shaped collar (that collects food particles) and a flagellum (which whips around, moving water). The sponge obtains its nutrients and oxygen by processing flowing water using choanocytes. Choanocytes are also involved in sponge reproduction; they catch floating sperm.
Porifera	Epidermis (pinacocyte)	the epidermis is the layer of cells that covers the outer surface of the sponge. The thin, flattened cells of the epidermis are called pinacocytes.
Porifera	Flagellum	the whip like structure of a choanocyte; the flagellum moves, pushing water (which contains nourishment) through the sponge
Porifera	Hermaphrodite	an animal in which each adult can act as either the female or the male in reproduction.
Porifera	Holdfast	root like tendrils that attach the sponge to rocks.
Porifera	Invertebrate	an animal without a backbone.
Porifera	Mesohyl (mesenchyme)	the gelatinous layer between the outer body of the sponge and the spongocoel (the inner cavity).
Porifera	Osculum	a large opening in a sponge through which water flows out of the sponge. Sponges may have more than one oscula.
Porifera	Ostia	a series of tiny pores all over the body of a sponge that let water into the sponge. One of these is called an ostium.
Porifera	Pinacocyte	pinacocytes are the thin, flattened cells of the epidermis, the sponge's outer layer of cells.
Porifera	Porocyte	cells with pores that allow water into the sponge; they are located all over the sponge's body.
Porifera	Sessile	permanently attached to a substrate and unable to move on its own. Adult sponges are sessile.
Porifera	Spicule	spicules are sharp spikes (made of calcium carbonate) located in the mesohyl. Spicules form the "skeleton" of many sponges.
Porifera	Spongin	the flexible, fibrous fibers that form the skeleton of horny sponges; spongin is located within the mesohyl.
Porifera	Spongocoel	the central, open cavity in a sponge through which water flows.
Porifera	Water flows into the sponge	water flows into a sponge through cells with pores (these cells are called porocytes) located all over its body.
Porifera	Water flows out of the sponge	water flows out of a sponge through large openings called oscula (plural). Each of these large openings is called an osculum.
Scaphopoda	Abdomen	A body region of an animal that corresponds to the belly. In arthropods this region is usually muscular and may contain gills.
Scaphopoda	aboral surface	The surface opposite the mouth of, for example, a sea star.
Scaphopoda	adductor muscle	A large muscle that closes a bivalve’s shell.
Scaphopoda	ambulacral groove	A groove through which the tube feet of an echinoderm extend.
Scaphopoda	amphipod	A type of crustacean with a body similar to a shrimp belonging to the order Amphipoda.
Scaphopoda	ampulla	An expanded area of a tubular structure; in echinoderms, a saclike structure attached to the tube foot.
Scaphopoda	annelid	A segmented worm belonging to the phylum Annelida.
Scaphopoda	aperture	An opening, such as the opening into a gastropod’s shell.
Scaphopoda	Aristotle’s lantern	A chewing structure composed of five teeth found in the mouths of sea urchins.
Scaphopoda	arrowworm	A planktonic animal belonging to the phylum Chaetognatha.
Scaphopoda	arthropod	An animal belonging to the phylum Arthropoda. Arthropods are characterized by jointed appendages and a hard exterior covering (exoskeleton).
Scaphopoda	autotomize	To purposely cast off a body part.
Scaphopoda	barnacle	A sessile crustacean whose body is usually covered by plates composed of calcium carbonate.
Scaphopoda	beardworm	An animal belonging to the annelid class Pogonophora.
Scaphopoda	bivalve	A type of mollusc whose body is covered by a two-pieced, hinged shell.
Scaphopoda	bulb gland	A gland found in molluscs of the family Conidae which produces the toxin that coats their radulae.
Scaphopoda	byssal threads	Strong protein fibers secreted by mussels that fasten the animal to a rock or another solid surface.
Scaphopoda	byssus	A tough protein secreted by a gland in the foot of some bivalves that commonly takes the form of threads. It is used to attach the bivalve to a solid surface such as rock or coral.
Scaphopoda	carapace	The hard dorsal covering of the bodies of animals such as arthropods and turtles.
Scaphopoda	carnivore	An animal that feeds on other animals.
Scaphopoda	casting	A pile of organic material and minerals defecated by deposit feeders. Also known asfecal cast.
Scaphopoda	cephalochordate	An animal belonging to the subphylum Cephalochordata. Also known as alancelet.
Scaphopoda	cephalopod	An animal belonging to the molluscan class Cephalopoda, which includes squids, octopods, cuttlefish, and nautiloids.
Scaphopoda	cephalothorax	The combination of two body regions: the head and the thorax.
Scaphopoda	cerata	Projections on the body of a nudibranch that function in gas exchange.
Scaphopoda	chelicera	An appendage in chelicerates that is modified for feeding and takes the place of mouthparts.
Scaphopoda	chelicerate	An animal belonging to the arthropod subphylum Chelicerata; they have a pair of oral appendages calledcheliceraethat are used in feeding.
Scaphopoda	chelipeds	Legs bearing clawlike structures (chela) in arthropods.
Scaphopoda	chitin	A polysaccharide found in the cell walls of fungi and in the exoskeletons of many arthropods.
Scaphopoda	chiton	A mollusc belonging to the class Polyplacophora. Chitons are characterized by a shell composed of eight separate plates bound together by a leathery girdle.
Scaphopoda	chordate	An animal belonging to the phylum Chordata characterized by having a notochord, pharyngeal gill slits, postanal tail, and dorsal, hollow nerve tube sometime in its life cycle.
Scaphopoda	chromatophore	A special cell in an animal’s skin that contains pigment molecules.
Scaphopoda	cirri	Grasping structures found on some species of sea lily.
Scaphopoda	cirriped	Feathery appendage used by barnacles to filter food from the surrounding water.
Scaphopoda	coleoid	A cephalopod belonging to the subclass Coleoidea that does not have an external shell.
Scaphopoda	conchiolin	The protein that makes up the periostracum of a molluscan shell.
Scaphopoda	copepod	A crustacean belonging to the class Copepoda, usually the most abundant member of the marine zooplankton.
Scaphopoda	copulatorypleopod	Specialized appendage on the abdomens of male decapods used for transferring sperm to females.
Scaphopoda	crinoid	An animal belonging to the echinoderm class Crinoidea. These generally sessile animals have bodies that resemble flowers and are commonly referred to as sea lilies.
Scaphopoda	crop	A digestive organ found in some animals that stores food before it is processed.
Scaphopoda	crustacean	An animal belonging to the arthropod class Crustacea, which includes crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and barnacles.
Scaphopoda	Cuvierian tubule	Small, sticky tube expelled from the anus of some sea cucumbers to distract predators.
Scaphopoda	cyprid larva	A planktonic larval stage of barnacles that develops from a nauplius larva and has compound eyes and a carapace composed of two shell plates.
Scaphopoda	decapod	An animal with five pairs of walking legs that belongs to the arthropod order Decapoda, which includes crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
Scaphopoda	deposit feeder	An animal that feeds on bottom sediments.
Scaphopoda	echinoderm	An animal belonging to the phylum Echinodermata, which includes sea stars, brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and crinoids.
Scaphopoda	echinoid	An echinoderm belonging to the class Echinoidea, which includes sea urchins, heart urchins, sand dollars, and sea biscuits.
Scaphopoda	echiuran	An animal that belongs to the class Echiura in the phylum Annelida. Also known as aspoonworm.
Scaphopoda	ectoparasite	A parasite that attaches to the outer covering of its host.
Scaphopoda	endoskeleton	An internal skeleton.
Scaphopoda	epitoke	The pelagic, reproductive individual formed by some errant polychaetes.
Scaphopoda	epitoky	A type of reproduction that occurs in some polychaetes that involves the production of a reproductive individual (epitoke) adapted for a pelagic existence from a nonreproductive individual adapted for a benthic existence.
Scaphopoda	errant polychaete	An actively mobile polychaete that has a mouth equipped with jaws or teeth.
Scaphopoda	eviscerate	The release of internal organs from the mouth or anus. This behavior is used by sea cucumbers to deter predation.
Scaphopoda	exhalant opening	The opening of a bivalve’s or tunicate’s siphon, through which water is expelled from the body.
Scaphopoda	exoskeleton	A hard, protective exterior skeleton such as that found in arthropods.
Scaphopoda	fecal cast	A pile of organic material and minerals defecated by deposit feeders. Also known ascasting.
Scaphopoda	fertilizin	A chemical released by some female epitokes that stimulates males to shed their sperm.
Scaphopoda	filter-feeder	An organism that filters its food from the water.
Scaphopoda	gastrodermis	The cellular lining of the gastrovascular cavity of cnidarians and ctenophores.
Scaphopoda	gastropod	A member of the molluscan class Gastropoda, which includes snails, limpets, abalones, and nudibranchs.
Scaphopoda	gastrovascular cavity	A central cavity in the body of cnidarians and flatworms that functions in digestion and in the movement of materials within the animal.
Scaphopoda	gnathopods	Specialized appendages found on amphipods that are used for collecting food.
Scaphopoda	grasping spine	A structure on the head of an arrowworm used to capture prey.
Scaphopoda	head-foot	The region of the gastropod body that contains the head, with its mouth and sensory organs, and the foot, which is the animal’s organ of locomotion.
Scaphopoda	hemichordate	An animal in the phylum Hemichordata. Also known as anacorn worm.
Scaphopoda	herbivore	An animal that eats only plants and algae.
Scaphopoda	holothurin	A poison from the flesh of sea cucumbers that protects the animal from predation by fishes and that is used by Pacific islanders to poison fishes.
Scaphopoda	hydroid	A colonial organism belonging to the cnidarian class Hydrozoa. Also known as ahydrozoan.
Scaphopoda	hydrostatic skeleton	A body support that results from fluids under pressure in an animal’s body cavity.
Scaphopoda	inhalant opening	The opening of a bivalve’s or tunicate’s siphon through which water is drawn into the body.
Scaphopoda	irregular echinoid	An echinoid such as a heart urchin or sand dollar that is adapted to a burrowing lifestyle.
Scaphopoda	krill	Pelagic, shrimplike creatures that belong to the arthropod order Euphausiacea.
Scaphopoda	lancelet	An animal belonging to the subphylum Cephalochordata. Also known as acephalochordate.
Scaphopoda	larvacean	A free-swimming tunicate that resembles a tadpole.
Scaphopoda	madreporite	The structure at which water enters the water vascular system of an echinoderm.
Scaphopoda	mandible	One component of the third pair of chewing or grinding appendages of crustaceans.
Scaphopoda	mandibulate	A member of the arthropod subphylum Mandibulata, which includes the crustaceans.
Scaphopoda	mantle (mollusc)	The part of a mollusc’s body that secretes its shell.
Scaphopoda	mantle cavity	The space between a mollusc’s mantle and its body
Scaphopoda	melanin	A brown or brown-black pigment found in many animals.
Scaphopoda	mollusc	A soft-bodied animal that is a member of the phylum Mollusca. The bodies of most molluscs are covered by a shell.
Scaphopoda	molting	In arthropods, the process by which an old exoskeleton is shed and a new one is formed.
Scaphopoda	mother-of-pearl layer	Another term for the nacreous layer of pearl oysters.
Scaphopoda	nacreous layer	The innermost layer of a molluscan shell. In oysters, it also is known as themother-of-pearl layer.
Scaphopoda	nauplius larva	A larval stage in the life cycle of many crustaceans Nauplius larvae are characterized by three pairs of appendages and a median eye.
Scaphopoda	nautiloid	A cephalopod that has an external shell belonging to the subclass Nautiloidea.
Scaphopoda	nematode	A round, wormlike animal that belongs to the phylum Nematoda.
Scaphopoda	nonselective deposit feeder	An animal that ingests both organic and mineral particles and then digests the organic material, especially the bacteria that grow on the surface of the mineral particles.
Scaphopoda	notochord	A flexible supporting structure that runs the length of the body between the gut and the nerve cord. It is present in all chordates at some stage in their development.
Scaphopoda	nudibranch	A gastropod mollusc that does not have a shell and has many projections from its body calledcerata.
Scaphopoda	operculum	A hard or tough covering found in some molluscan gastropods that closes the opening to the shell when the animal retracts inside. In fishes, the protective covering of the animal’s gills.
Scaphopoda	ophiuroid	Echinoderm commonly referred to as brittle star or serpent star, belonging to the class Ophiuroidea.
Scaphopoda	oral tentacles	Modified tube feet that are located around the mouth of a sea cucumber and used in acquiring food.
Scaphopoda	ossicles	Plates of calcium carbonate that make up the endoskeleton of echinoderms.
Scaphopoda	oviduct	A tube that carries eggs to the outside of a female’s body.
Scaphopoda	palp (bivalve)	A pair of structures located near the mouth that forms filtered food into a mass and then moves it to the bivalve’s mouth.
Scaphopoda	palp (sea spider)	A pair of sensory structures.
Scaphopoda	pedicellariae	Tiny pincerlike structures, found in some echinoderms, that keep the surface of the body clean and free of parasites and the settling larvae of fouling species. In some echinoderm species, they may also aid in obtaining food.
Scaphopoda	pen	An internal strip of hard protein that helps support the mantle of a squid.
Scaphopoda	periostracum	The outermost layer of a molluscan shell. The periostracum is composed of the proteinconchiolin.
Scaphopoda	pharyngeal gill slits	Perforated, slitlike openings that lead from the pharyngeal cavity to the outside. They are present in all chordates at some stage in their development.
Scaphopoda	pheromone	A hormone released into the environment by one individual that controls the behavior or development of other individuals of the same species.
Scaphopoda	photophore	A specialized organ in some organisms that produces bioluminescence.
Scaphopoda	podia	The tube feet of sea stars.
Scaphopoda	pogonophoran	An animal that belongs to the class Pogonophora of the phylum Annelida. Also known asbeardworms.
Scaphopoda	polychaete	A type of annelid worm belonging to the class Polychaeta.
Scaphopoda	postanal tail	A tail that extends beyond an animal’s digestive tract. It is present in all chordates at some stage in their development.
Scaphopoda	priapulid	A benthic worm belonging to the phylum Priapulida.
Scaphopoda	prismatic layer	The middle layer of a molluscan shell and the layer that contains most of the mass of the shell.
Scaphopoda	radula	A ribbon of tissue that contains teeth. This structure is unique to molluscs.
Scaphopoda	regular echinoid	An echinoid with a spherical body. Also known as asea urchin.
Scaphopoda	respiratory tree	A system of tubules found in most sea cucumbers that functions in gas exchange.
Scaphopoda	roe	An ovary with eggs.
Scaphopoda	salp	A free-swimming tunicate belonging to the class Thaliacea.
Scaphopoda	scaphopod	A mollusc belonging to the class Scaphopoda. Scaphopods are also known astusk shellsbecause their shells are shaped like the tusks of elephants.
Scaphopoda	sedentary polychaete	A sessile polychaete that usually forms some sort of tube to cover its body.
Scaphopoda	selective deposit feeder	An animal that separates organic material from minerals in sediments and ingests only the organic material.
Scaphopoda	sepia	A dark fluid produced in the ink glands of cephalopods.
Scaphopoda	septa	A divider or partition.
Scaphopoda	setae	Bristles on the bodies of annelid worms.
Scaphopoda	shipworm	A bivalve mollusc with a wormlike body belonging to the genusTeredoorBankiathat can burrow into wood.
Scaphopoda	siphon	Tubular structure in some invertebrates that directs the flow of water in and out of the animal’s body.
Scaphopoda	siphuncle	A cord of tissue that runs through the chambers of a nautilus shell and functions in the removal of seawater from the chambers and in the regulation of the gas content of the chambers.
Scaphopoda	sipunculid	Solitary worms belonging to the phylum Sipuncula.
Scaphopoda	spermatophore	A package of sperm.
Scaphopoda	spoonworm	An animal that belongs to the class Echiura in the phylum Annelida. Also known as anechiuran.
Scaphopoda	swarm	A large mass of krill.
Scaphopoda	swarming	A behavior exhibited by some errant polychaetes in which the males and females congregate at the surface of the water to reproduce.
Scaphopoda	swimmeret	An appendage modified for swimming in some crustaceans.
Scaphopoda	telson	A long spike attached to the posterior end of a horseshoe crab’s abdomen; used for steering and defense.
Scaphopoda	trochophore larva	A free-swimming ciliated larva in the life cycles of many marine molluscs as well as some other marine organisms.
Scaphopoda	tube feet	Tubular structures in echinoderms that function in locomotion and feeding.
Scaphopoda	tunic	The body covering of animals known as tunicates, phylum Urochordata, which is composed of a molecule similar to cellulose.
Scaphopoda	tunicate	Animals belonging to the subphylum Urochordata. Tunicates are named for their body covering: a tunic composed of a substance similar to cellulose.
Scaphopoda	umbo	The area around the hinge of a bivalve’s shell. This area represents the oldest part of the shell.
Scaphopoda	univalve	A shell composed of one piece.
Scaphopoda	veliger larva	A free-swimming larval stage that develops from the trochophore larva of some molluscs.
Scaphopoda	visceral mass	The dorsal region of the gastropod body that contains the circulatory, digestive, respiratory, excretory, and reproductive systems.
Scaphopoda	water vascular system	A hydraulic system unique to echinoderms that functions in locomotion, feeding, gas exchange, and excretion.
Scaphopoda	whorls	The turns of a gastropod’s spiral shell.
Scaphopoda	zoea larva	The planktonic larval stage of decapod crustaceans.
Sea Anemone	Acontia	Thin white or colored threads attached at one end to the borders of the mesenteries, as a rule below the filaments, while the other end is free. They are laden with extraordinarily numerous nematocysts of various categories. They can be protruded through the mouth, and in some cases through special pores (cinclides) in the body-wall, for purposes of defense or paralyses of prey. In histological structure they differ completely from the mesenterial filaments.
Sea Anemone	Acontioids	Thick threads attached to mesenteries below the filaments. With few nematocysts belonging to some of the same categories as those in the filaments.
Sea Anemone	Acrorhagi	Marginal outgrowths of the body-wall found in some genera of Actiniaria, containing a strong concentration of nematocysts. They may be simple and spherical, slightly branched, or even frondose.
Sea Anemone	Acrospheres	The globular ends of certain tentacles, laden with numerous nematocysts. They are of different categories in the Corallimorpharia and in the Actiniaria and seemingly in Madreporaria also.
Sea Anemone	Actinopharynx	Throat, stomodaeum (or gullet, aesophagus, or pharynx); the tube which leads from the mouth in to the coelenteron.
Sea Anemone	Actinostome	The mouth, or upper aperture of the actinopharynx, in the center of the oral disk.
Sea Anemone	Alveolar	In cross section the mesogloeal sphincters of many anemones are composed of numerous small more of less circular groups of muscle fibers, these small circles having the appearance of alveoli. In a sphincter in which the "alveoli" are fairly scattered, the structure may be termed "alveolar". When the "alveoli" are so close together that the strands of mesogloea between them are very reduced, and form a network, the structure may be termed "reticular".
Sea Anemone	Cinclides	Small apertures (or organized soft spots which will rupture readily) in the column through which the acontia, if present, may protrude.
Sea Anemone	Coelenteron	The general cavity of the body of an anemone where digestion, nutrient absorption, and gas exchange take place.
Sea Anemone	Column	Body-wall.
Sea Anemone	Conchula	A more or less lobed projection from the upper end of a siphonoglyph.
Sea Anemone	Couple	The 12 oldest mesenteries originate in a different way from those which follow in that they arise bilaterally on opposite sides of the directive axis. Each such "pair" has been called a "couple". The directives, which normally belong to the 12 primary mesenteries, are couples as well as pairs.
Sea Anemone	Diploblastic	Having a body made of two cellular layers only (as opposed to the majority of animals which are triploblastic), the exterior ectoderm and the interior endoderm. These two layers are separated by the largely non-cellular jelly-like mesogloea.
Sea Anemone	Ecto-mesogloeal muscles	Muscles which in the main are embedded in the mesogloea.
Sea Anemone	Endocoel	The space between two mesenteries belonging to one and the same pair.
Sea Anemone	Endocoelic tentacles	Tentacles the cavities of which communicate with endocoels.
Sea Anemone	Endo-mesogloeal muscles	Muscles which in the main are embedded in the mesogloea.
Sea Anemone	Enterostome	The lower or internal orifice of the actinopharynx, by which the cavity of the latter is put into communication with the coelenteron.
Sea Anemone	Exocoel	The space between mesenteries belonging to different pairs.
Sea Anemone	Exocoelic tentacles	Tentacles the cavities of which communicate with exocoels.
Sea Anemone	Filament	A thickened rim running along the free border of a mesentery from the end of the actinopharynx (in the case of "perfect mesenteries") downwards. In its lower part the filament is simple, in its upper part it may be a triple cord. The lateral bands have been called ciliated tracts (streaks), the median band the cnidoglandular tract (streak) and this may be very convoluted below the ciliated tracts. In the Corallimorpharia and Protantheae the filament is always simple, in the Ptychodactiaria the simple filament is continued distally into a half-funnel formation.
Sea Anemone	Fosse	A circular groove enclosed by a distinct fold, the parapet or collar, of the column, a little below the tentacles.
Sea Anemone	Imperfect mesenteries	Mesenteries not reaching the actinopharynx.
Sea Anemone	Limbus	The border along which the column joins the pedal disk.Margin
Sea Anemone	Marginal spherules	Vesicles situated on the parapet or in the fosse, which may have apertures, and are provided with atrichs, basitrichs and spirocysts.
Sea Anemone	Marginal stomata	Large or small apertures in large mesenteries (one aperture per mesentery), near the margin of the body, by means of which water may pass through the mesenteries.
Sea Anemone	Marginal pseudospherules	Vesicles situated at the margin, which may possess an aperture, and containing basitrichs only.
Sea Anemone	Mesenteries	Infoldings of the endoderm and mesoglea extending from the body-wall into the gastrovascular cavity, some of which reach the actinopharynx and divide the gastrovascular cavity. The mesenteries serve to increase the surface area for digestion and uptake of nutrients.
Sea Anemone	Mesenterial arrangement	The mesenteries are arranged in pairs, each consisting of two mesenteries adjacent to one another. One can distinguishes between directive pairs and ordinary pairs. Directives, which are situated in the directive axis, have their longitudinal muscles (retractors) on their outer sides turned towards the exocoels.
Sea Anemone	Mesenterial muscles	One side of each mesentery is occupied by longitudinal muscles, the other by transverse and parietobasilar muscles; the latter generally run obliquely from the column to the pedal disc. In most of the Actiniaria there are also basilar muscles running along both sides of the base of the mesentery, close to the pedal disc.
Sea Anemone	Meso-ectodermal muscles	Muscles which in the main are ectodermal, but small parts of which are embedded in the mesogloea.
Sea Anemone	Mesogloeal muscles	Muscles wholly embedded in the mesogloea.
Sea Anemone	Meso-endodermal muscles	Muscles which in the main are endodermal, but a small part of which is embedded in the mesogloea.
Sea Anemone	Metacnemes	The mesenteries arising as pairs after the formation of the 12 first mesenteries.
Sea Anemone	Nematoblasts	Special cells in which nematocysts are housed.
Sea Anemone	Nematocysts	Stinging capsules the thread of which shows several types of structure. The following categories of nematocysts are present in the Anthozoa: atrichs: thread without barbs, smooth; holotrichs: thread without a differentiated basal shaft but with barbs along its whole length; basitrichs: thread without shaft but with barbs at its base only; microbasic b-mastigophors: thread with a shaft, but the demarcation between the shaft and the thread not strongly marked, shaft with barbs; in unexploded capsules the shaft does not show any funnel-shaped formation.
Sea Anemone	Nematosomes	Globular strongly ciliated, free swimming bodies with numerous nematocysts occurring in the coelenteric cavity of Nematostella. Their true nature is unknown.
Sea Anemone	Nematospheres	Globular tentacles with numerous basitrichs.
Sea Anemone	Nemathybomes	Spheroid invaginations of the columnar ectoderm into the mesogloea laden with numerous nematocysts. They occur in Edwardsia and Isoedwardsia.
Sea Anemone	Orientation of the body	A typical animal belonging to the groups handled here can be divided into two equivalent halves by a line passing through the endocoels between the directive mesenteries. This line is the directive axis. In order to describe the position of the 8 primary mesenteries one uses the arbitrary terms dorsal and ventral for the two directive couples and dorso-lateral and ventro-lateral for the lateral ones. The ventral directive couple is the one towards which theretractors on the four lateral mesenteries face.
Sea Anemone	Perfect mesenteries	Mesenteries attached to the actinopharynx.
Sea Anemone	Physa	The aboral ampullaccous end of certain Athenaria, appears rounded and swollen out into a bladder-like structure.
Sea Anemone	Primary tentacles	The six oldest tentacles.
Sea Anemone	Primary mesenteries	The six oldest pairs of mesenteries.
Sea Anemone	Protocnemes	The first 12 mesenteries which arise as couples.
Sea Anemone	Scapus	In some taxa the column is externally divisible into regions. The most proximal zone has been called a physa but this is an ampullaccous extremity present only in Athenaria. The principal and longest zone of the column or scapus may be provided with tenaculi or tubercles. Above the scapus, distally, there is either a thick-walled scapulus or a thin-walled capitulum. In certain cases both regions are present, the capitulum above the scapulus.
Sea Anemone	Siphonoglyphs	Anatomically differentiated smooth grooves running down the actinopharynx from the mouth to its inner end or beyond this. For the most part they are connected with directives but not in all cases. In some taxa the siphonoglyph forms a tube separated from the actinopharynx (in Peachia mira and Metapeachia).
Sea Anemone	Sphincter	The endodermal circular muscles of the column may be accumulated at or near the margin and form a sphincter which either is endodermal or embedded in the mesogloea, which is then called a mesogloeal sphincter. Rarely there is a transition between them, an endo-mesodermal or meso-endodermal sphincter. The endodermal sphincter shows a different appearance in cross section.
Sea Anemone	Tenaculi	More or less solid papillae situated on the column, the ectoderm of which is partly chitinised and provided with an usually strong, sometimes stratified cuticle, to which grains of sand or detritus may adhere.
Sea Anemone	Vesicles	Ampullaccous, non-adhesive evaginations of the column, simple or compound; with more or less numerous nematocysts of various categories.
Sea Anemone	Verrucae	More or less ampullaccous, adhesive evaginations of the column, simple or more rarely compound, with modified ectoderm, without nematocysts in their central part. Rarely, as in Sagartia, there is no evagination, but the ectoderm shows same structure as that of the verrucae proper and is adhesive (suckers).
Sea Snake	Chin shield	Shield on the central forward portion of the lower jaw
Sea Snake	Fang	Pointed elongated tooth
Sea Snake	Frontal scale	Scale present at the center of head between eyes
Sea Snake	Infralabials	Scales that border the mouth opening along the lower jaw
Sea Snake	Maxillary bone	The bone of the upper jaw which serves as a foundation of the face
Sea Snake	Mental shield	A shield at the center of lower jaw tip
Sea Snake	Mental groove	A longitudinal groove on underside of head between large, paired chin shields and smaller gular scales.
Sea Snake	Nasal plate	Plate in the head frontal region contains nasal opening
Sea Snake	Notch	An incision on an edge or surface
Sea Snake	Palatine	The palatine bones are paired bones of the skull that are situated at the back part of the nasal cavity between the maxillary bones
Sea Snake	Parietal	A bone forming the central side and upper back part of each side of the skull.
Sea Snake	Postoculars	Scales behind eye
Sea Snake	Prefrontal	Region in front of the frontal
Sea Snake	Preocular	Region in front of eye
Sea Snake	Rostral	Scales in the anterior most end of the body
Sea Snake	Scale row	Arrangement of scales along the entire body
Sea Snake	Scales	Small, thin horny or bony plates protecting the skin
Sea Snake	Snout	Region between eye and the tip of upper jaw
Sea Snake	Supralabials	Scales bordering the lateral sides of upper jaw
Sea Snake	Supraocular	Scale above the eye
Sea Snake	Temporal	Scales behind postocular
Sea Snake	Venom	A poisonous substance secreted by mouth and typically injected into prey or aggressors by biting or stinging
Sea Snake	Ventrals	Scales in the entire middle of lower side
Seafan	Anthocodia (p. Anthocodiae)	Distal part of a polyp including the mouth, neck and tentacles, which may or may not be retractable into coenenchyme.
Seafan	Anthostele	The lower part of the polyp consisting of the gastrodermal canal where it penetrates the coenenchyme; typically not visible on the surface of the colony.
Seafan	Arborescent	Tree like branching pattern, generally comprising a bare stalk and polyps arranged on the distal branches and twigs (e.g. Pseudodrifa nigra).
Seafan	Armature	The arrangement of the sclerites on the head of a polyp.
Seafan	Autozooid	A polyp containing eight tentacles and mesenteries; in dimorphic colonies, they are larger than siphonozooids.
Seafan	Axis	Inner supporting structure of some octocoral colonies; may or may not contain sclerites; may be horny and/or calcareous, hollow or solid.
Seafan	Boundary canals	In Scleraxonia, canals that run longitudinally throughout colony, separating medulla from cortex.
Seafan	Calyx (p. Calyces, adj. Calicular)	Stiff, projecting portion of the coenenchyme, typically reinforced by modified sclerites, into which the anthocodia may retract.
Seafan	Capitate	Unbranched colonies with a disk like, spherical or hemispherical terminus on a narrow stalk, commonly resembling a club or torch (e.g.Nidalia occidentalis).
Seafan	Capstan	An elongate sclerite with two girdles of warts or tubercles at each end (e.g.Leptogorgia hebes); often named by number of tubercles (e.g. Triradiate capstan).
Seafan	Coenenchyme (adj. Coenenchymal)	The common colony tissue between the polyps, consisting of mesoglea penetrated by solenia and gastrodermal canals and containing sclerites.
Seafan	Collaret	A ring of transversely arranged, bowed anthocodial sclerites located below the bases of the tentacles; typically associated with points, forming a ‘collaret and points’ arrangement.
Seafan	Contractile	Ability of an anthocodia to reduce in size without inversion into the upper part of the anthostele within the coenenchyme, often accomplished by folding the tentacles inward.
Seafan	Cortex (adj. Cortical)	In Scleraxonia, the layer of coenenchyme surrounding the medulla.
Seafan	Dichotomous	Branching pattern displaying a repeating bifurcation (e.g. Iciligorgia schrammi).
Seafan	Digitiform	Unbranched, finger like colony form (e.g. Bellonella rubistella)
Seafan	Dimorphic	Having two types of polyps, autozooids and siphonozooids (e.g. Pennatulacea).
Seafan	Disk	Spindle
Seafan	spindle	Shaped sclerite that displays the fusion of warts into girdles on one or both sides (e.g.Leptogorgia setacea).
Seafan	Double cone	A spindle like sclerite with a medial constriction and acute ends (e.g.Viminella barbadensis).
Seafan	Double head	A sclerite with a medial constriction and blunt ends (e.g. Viminella barbadensis).
Seafan	Fistulose	A state in which the end of a flattened branch is rolled inward, partially fusing and forming a terminal groove (e.g. Iciligorgia schrammi).
Seafan	Foliated club	Elongate sclerite with an enlarged end adorned with leaf like or spinous processes (e.g.Pseudodrifa nigra).
Seafan	Foliose	Resembling a leaf; dorsoventrally compressed and broad (e.g. Renilla reniformis).
Seafan	Lobed	Colonies with a few short, stout branches, often with clusters of polyps at tips (e.g.Pseudodrifa nigra)
Seafan	Loculation (n. loculus, n. p. loculi )	The presence of spaces between layers of gorgonin in a holaxonian axis, which may be filled with calcified material, often very prominent in Plexauridae (loculi refers the pockets or empty spaces between the layers).
Seafan	Medulla	Inner supporting structure of a scleraxonian colony, comprised of sclerites often bound together with various amounts of horny gorgonin.
Seafan	Monomorphic	Having one type of polyp, autozooids.
Seafan	Monopodial	Branching in which a primary polyp gives rise to lateral daughter or budded polyps (e.g.Telesto sp., Carijoa riisei).
Seafan	Oozooid	Enlarged and modified polyp of the pennatulacean colony bearing autozooids and siphonozooids.
Seafan	Peduncle	Often called a stalk, the lower, bare portion of a pennatulacean colony that anchors in soft substrate.
Seafan	Pinnate	Branching in one plane that appears feather like (e.g.Muricea pendula).
Seafan	Planar	Branching colonies that grow in one plane; fan like.
Seafan	Plate	A broad, flat, irregularly shaped sclerite (e.g. Scleranthelia rugosa).
Seafan	Platelet	A small flattened sclerite of diverse outline (e.g. Sclerobelemnon theseus).
Seafan	Points	Sets of anthocodial sclerites, often bent spindles, forming eight longitudinal groups at the base of each tentacle; located above the collaret (if present), forming a ‘collaret and points’ arrangement.
Seafan	Polyp leaves	Flattened expansions bearing secondary polyps in some pennatulaceans, such as Virgulariidae.
Seafan	Polyp mounds	Raised regions of the coenenchyme into which polyps retract; not reinforced by modified or specialized sclerites.
Seafan	Primary polyp	Polyp (in Clavulariidae) giving rise to lateral or daughter polyps; often the polyp farthest from substrate.
Seafan	Rachis	Fleshy part of a tentacle from which pinnules arise; in Pennatulacea, the part of the oozooid that produces the other polyps.
Seafan	Retractile	Ability of an anthocodia to fully withdraw into the upper part of the anthostele within the coenenchyme.
Seafan	Sclerite	Microscopic, calcareous structures found in the coenenchyme, anthocodiae, and sometimes in the axes of octocorals.
Seafan	Siphonozooid	In dimorphic colonies, a polyp with reduced tentacles and mesenteries; smaller and less conspicuous than autozooids.
Seafan	Spindle	Common sclerite shape displaying an elongate form and tapering ends (e.g. Gorgoniidae).
Seafan	Stellate plate	Flat sclerite with peripheral lobes, appearing star like, sometimes with a protruding knob in the centre (e.g.Bebryce parastellata).
Seafan	Stolon	An extension of the coenenchyme that traverses the substrate and connects polyps or colonies, often broad and ribbon like.
Seagrass	Bidentate	Having two teeth or tooth like parts.
Seagrass	Blade	A blade is a narrow, flat leaf.
Seagrass	Blunt	Having a dull edge or end; not sharp.
Seagrass	Branched root	A secondary root or limb growing from the trunk or main root of a tree or shrub or from another secondary limb
Seagrass	Broadly acute	Sharply pointed; converging edges making an angle of less than 90°.
Seagrass	Cross veins	A transverse vein that connects adjacent longitudinal veins in the wing of an insect
Seagrass	Flower	The flower is the reproductive unit of angiosperms. Flowers usually have carpels, petals, sepals, and stamens.
Seagrass	Fruit	That structure which bears the seeds
Seagrass	Lamina	The lamina is the blade of a leaf
Seagrass	Lanceolate	Lanceolate leaves are shaped like a lance; they have a broad base and taper to a point
Seagrass	Lateral teeth	With minute teeth on margin of leaf.
Seagrass	Leaf hairs	Row of cells borne on the surface of an organ
Seagrass	Leaf margin	Lateral means of, near, or from the side of an organism.
Seagrass	Leaf tip	The edge, as in the edge of a leaf blade.
Seagrass	Long Oval	Shaped like a section through the long axis of an egg and attached by the wider end.
Seagrass	Longitudinal veins	A leaf with longitudinal striate venation has its veins arranged almost parallel to one another, running the length of the leaf
Seagrass	Oval	Planar, shaped like a flattened circle, symmetrical about both the long and the short axis; about twice as long as broad, tapering equally both to the tip and the base; oval.
Seagrass	Ovate	Broad and rounded at the base and tapering toward the end.
Seagrass	Pointed	Having an end coming to a point or sharp.
Seagrass	Pollen	Pollen is the male reproductive cell of flowering plants and cone bearing plants. Pollen grains are produced in the anther of a flower.
Seagrass	Pollination	Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma.
Seagrass	Propagule	A vegetative structure that can become detached from a plant and give rise to a new plant, e.g. a bud, sucker, or spore
Seagrass	Rhizome	A perennial underground stem usually growing horizontally.
Seagrass	Root	A unit of a plant's axial system which is usually underground, does not bear leaves, tends to grow downwards, and is typically derived from the radicle of the embryo.
Seagrass	Rounded	Shaped into the form of a circle or sphere; made round.
Seagrass	Seed	The seed is the reproductive unit of some plants
Seagrass	Seedlings	A young plant, especially one raised from seed and not from a cutting
Seagrass	Serrulate	Having a minutely serrate margin, as in a leaflet of the rose.
Seagrass	Sheathed leaf base	The leaf base when it forms a vertical coating surrounding the stem (a tubular or rolled part of an organ, e.g. the lower part of the leaf in most grasses.)
Seagrass	Sickle	Curved like shape
Seagrass	Spathe	A large sheathing bract enclosing the flower cluster of certain plants, especially the spadix of arums and palms
Seagrass	Stigma	The stigma is part of the pistil, the female reproductive tissue of a flower. The stigma receives the male pollen grains during fertilization
Seagrass	Tubular	The form of a tube or cylinder.
Seagrass	Viviparous	Germinating while still on the plant, as certain bulbs and transformations of floral tissues
Seaweed	Antheridium	a structure that produces motile male gametes (sperm).
Seaweed	Bisexual	having both sexes.
Seaweed	Blade	a flattened, leaf-like part of the thallus.
Seaweed	Calcar	spur subtending a cystocarp.
Seaweed	Carpogonium	the female sex structure in red algae.
Seaweed	Carpospore	a spore, usually diploid, produced in the carpogonium.In red algae, it grows into a free-living tetrasporophyte.
Seaweed	Cerata	dorsal appendages on some opisthobranchmollusks (sea slugs) that contain diverticula of the digestive gland.Serve as gills.
Seaweed	Chloroplast	a cell organelle specialized for photosynthesis, the production ofcarbohydrates from carbon dioxide, water in the presence of light energy.
Seaweed	Coenocytic	referring to a multinucleate cell, the coenocyte, derived when the nucleus divides but the cytoplasm does not.
Seaweed	Conceptacle	a fertile cavity, often with a pore.
Seaweed	Cortex	tissue external to the medulla, often an outer covering, of a blade.
Seaweed	Cryptostomata	minute cavities in the outer cortex of Fucales containing hairs.
Seaweed	Cystocarp	a structure in the female gametophyte of red algae consisting of diploid carposporophyte surrounded by gametophytic tissue.It may be a pigmented bump with or without an ostiole.
Seaweed	Dichotomous	branching in pairs.
Seaweed	Dioecious	bearing male and female reproductive structures on separate individuals.
Seaweed	Diploid	having a normal (double or 2n) set of chromosomes.
Seaweed	Discoid	disk shaped.Usually referring to the shape of holdfasts.
Seaweed	Distichous	arranged in two rows on opposite sides of an axis.
Seaweed	Distromatic	having two layers of cells.
Seaweed	Gametangium (pl. gametangia)	a structure that produces gametes.
Seaweed	Euryhaline	able to withstand a wide range of salinities.
Seaweed	Eurythermal	able to withstand a wide range of temperatures.
Seaweed	Filamentous	a row of cells arranged end to end forming a hair-like thallus.
Seaweed	Gamete	a sexual cell, male or female (e.g., sperm and eggs).
Seaweed	Gametophyte	the haploid and sexual phase in the life history of an alga; produces gametes.
Seaweed	Haploid	having a single set of chromosomes - half the normal number (1n).
Seaweed	Herbivory	feeding on plants.
Seaweed	Holdfast	the structure that attaches the alga to its substratum.
Seaweed	Intercallary	occurring anywhere along the thallus except at the apex.
Seaweed	Intergeniculum (pl. intergenticula)	acalcified segment between the uncalcified joints of coralline algae.
Seaweed	Isomorphic	having the same shape; looking alike.
Seaweed	Lanceolate	shaped like a lance; several times longer than wide.
Seaweed	Laminarin	a polysaccharide carbohydrate energy storage product in Laminaria.
Seaweed	Meristem	a region of rapidly dividing, undifferentiated cells; an area of growth.
Seaweed	Midrib	the middle rib of a blade.
Seaweed	Monoecious	bearing male and female reproductive structures on the same individual.
Seaweed	Monostromatic	having one layer of cells.
Seaweed	Oogonium	a female reproductive cell (gametangium) that produces one or more female gametes (eggs).
Seaweed	Ostiole	a pore.
Seaweed	Ovate	egg-shaped.
Seaweed	Papilla (pl. papillae)	small rounded or pimple-like projections on a surface
Seaweed	Pericentral	surrounding central axial cells.
Seaweed	Pinnate	having similar parts arrange on opposite sides of an axis, like a feather.
Seaweed	Plastid	a pigmented cell organelle (e.g., a chloroplast which contains chlorophyll).
Seaweed	Pneumatocyst	a gas bladder or float of brown algae.
Seaweed	Receptacle	the inflated tip of a branch that holds conceptacles (e.g. the swollen tip of Fucus).
Seaweed	Rhizoid	a unicellular or filamentous structure for attachment.
Seaweed	Rhizome	a horizontal, shoot-producing stem growing within the substrate.
Seaweed	Saxicolus	growing on rocks.
Seaweed	Spermatangium (pl. spermatangia)	a cell in red algae that produces a single, nonflagellated, male gamete (the spermatium).
Seaweed	Spore	a motile or nonmotile, asexual reproductive structure.
Seaweed	Sporophyll	the part of the alga, usually a blade, which bears sporangia, the structure that produces spores.
Seaweed	Sporophyte	the diploid phase in the life history of the alga; produces spores.
Seaweed	Sorus (pl. sori)	a cluster of reproductive structures.
Seaweed	Stipe	the stem-like part of the thallus between the holdfast and the blade(s).
Seaweed	Stolon	a runner growing out of the base of the alga capable of producing offshoots.
Seaweed	Substratum	the material (such as rock) on which the alga is growing (substrate).
Seaweed	Tetraspore	a spore, grouped in fours, produced by tetrasporophytes
Seaweed	Tetrasporophyte	a phase in the life history of red algae that produces tetraspores.
Seaweed	Tertiary	referring to a third stage.
Seaweed	Thallus	the body of the alga.
Seaweed	Uniseriate	having a single row of cells.
Seaweed	Utricle	the inflated part of Codium that contains plastids.
Seaweed	Vegetative	not associated with reproductive cells or sexual reproductive capacity.
Seaweed	Zygote	a fertilized egg cell.
Shrimp	Basal margin	The lower margin of a plate in barnacles.
Shrimp	Basal plate	The bottom plate and place of attachment for barnacles. May be calcareous or membranous.
Shrimp	Beak	The lower curved angle of the scutum in goose barnacles or the apex of the tergum with a curved beak-like point in other barnacles.
Shrimp	Bicuspid	Having two points.
Shrimp	Capitulum	The portion of the barnacle above the peduncle (shelled part) of a goose barnacle.
Shrimp	Carapace	The hard dorsal covering of the head and thorax of the body. Does not cover the abdomen.
Shrimp	Carapace length	The distance from the anterior most part of the head (usually the rostrum) to the posterior most part of the carapace (does not include the abdomen).
Shrimp	Carapace width	In crabs, the distance between the lateral spines (the posterior most spines) of the carapace. This measurement is usually used to describe crab size.
Shrimp	Carina	A raised ridge. In goose barnacles, an unpaired narrow plate adjacent to the paired scutum and tergum plates. One of the parietes in other barnacles.
Shrimp	Carpus	The 3rd segment from the distal end of a crab leg. In a clawed leg, it is the segment where the appendage flexes (i.e. the elbow).
Shrimp	Cephalothorax	The fused head and thorax of many crustaceans.
Shrimp	Chela (pl. chelae)	The last two segments of a leg that forms a pincer or claw. It includes the movable and immovable fingers and the palm, except in mantis shrimps (no movable finger).
Shrimp	Chelate	Possesses a chela (claw).
Shrimp	Chelipeds	The 1st pair of legs (anterior most) when they have claws.
Shrimp	Cirrus (pl. cirri)	Biramous appendages in barnacles used to filter the water for food.
Shrimp	Claw appendage	The entire appendage that possesses a claw, from the fingers to the point of attachment to the body.
Shrimp	Concave	Curving inward.
Shrimp	Convex	Curving outward.
Shrimp	Crest of claws	An elevated, irregularly toothed ridge
Shrimp	Crustacean	An invertebrate with a segmented body, a hard external shell (exoskeleton), paired and segmented appendages and have 2 pairs of antennae. Includes shrimp, crabs, lobsters, barnacles and mantis shrimps.
Shrimp	Dactylus (dactyl)	The segment of a crab leg that is most distal (farthest) from the body. In a clawed leg, it is the movable finger segment.
Shrimp	Distal	Farthest from the center of the body.
Shrimp	Dorsal	Pertaining to the top (back).
Shrimp	Dorsolateral	Upper part of sides.
Shrimp	Endopod	The inner pair of flattened appendages of the tail fan or at the end of a biramous segment.
Shrimp	Exopod	The outer pair of flattened appendages of the tail fan or at the end of a biramous segment.
Shrimp	Eyescales	Scale-like structure at the base of the eye stalk.
Shrimp	Fingers	The parts of the claw that opposes each other, one being movable, the other stationary.
Shrimp	Hepatic spine	Spine on the anterior lateral side of the carapace, behind and slightly below the eye orbit.
Shrimp	Immovable finger	The finger of the claw that does not move.
Shrimp	Interorbital	The edge of the carapace between the orbits (eye sockets)
Shrimp	Keel	A ridge.
Shrimp	Lateral	The sides of a body.
Shrimp	Lateral spine	The spines on the outside edges of the carapace at its widest point (usually the posterior most spines on the sides).
Shrimp	Length of crab	Usually refers to the carapace width. If a strong rostrum is present, length is sometimes reported as the carapace length.
Shrimp	Length of shrimp	The distance from the tip of the rostrum to the tip of the telson.
Shrimp	Major cheliped	The largest clawed appendage when the claws are unequal in size.
Shrimp	Manus	In a clawed leg, the manus makes up the immovable finger and palm. The propodus.
Shrimp	Maxillipeds	The three outer pairs of mouth appendages.
Shrimp	Merus	The 4th segment from the end of a leg appendage.
Shrimp	Mottling	Areas of color with no particular shape or pattern.
Shrimp	Movable finger	The finger of the claw that is movable.
Shrimp	Nodules	A small lump or knot.
Shrimp	Oblique	Angled, either upward or downward, usually refers to mouths, stripes or lines.
Shrimp	Opercular plates	The movable plates in the orifice of the shell in barnacles. Consists of the paired scuta and paired terga.
Shrimp	Orbit	The eye socket.
Shrimp	Orbital teeth	Projections or spines flanking each side of the eye socket.
Shrimp	Orifice	The dorsal opening of the shell in barnacles.
Shrimp	Palm	The part of the claw behind the movable and immovable fingers.
Shrimp	Paries (pl. parietes)	A triangular plate on a barnacle.
Shrimp	Peduncle	A fleshy stalk between the shell and substrate, in goose barnacles.
Shrimp	Pereopods	In shrimp, the 1st 5 pair of long walking legs, attached to the cephalothorax, the 1st few of which may or may not be chelate.
Shrimp	Petasma	Genital structures attached to the 1st pair of swimming legs in male penaeid shrimp. Looks like a pair of extensions, one from each leg with ends united together in larger shrimp.
Shrimp	Pleopods	In shrimp, the paired swimming legs that are attached to the abdomen, usually biramous.
Shrimp	Posterior	To the rear.
Shrimp	Propodus	The second segment from the distal end of a leg. In a clawed leg, the propodus is the segment with the immovable finger and palm.
Shrimp	Proximal	Nearest the center of the body or point of attachment to body.
Shrimp	Radius (pl. radii)	The walls in between the triangular plates in barnacles.
Shrimp	Rostrum	An extension of the carapace between the eyes projecting anteriorly.
Shrimp	Scutum (pl. scuta)	One of a pair of internal opercular plates in barnacles (in goose barnacles, the lower external triangular plate).
Shrimp	Serrated	Saw-toothed.
Shrimp	Setae (plural of seta)	Small hairs
Shrimp	Spine	A sharp pointed projection.
Shrimp	Stomatopod	A marine crustacean with strongly toothed, scissor-like claws and have gills on their abdomen. Also called mantis shrimps.
Shrimp	Tail	The abdomen, in shrimp.
Shrimp	Tail fan	Two pairs of flattened appendages that attach to the last segment of the abdomen. Teeth
Shrimp	Telson	The most terminal segment of the abdomen. Forms the center part of the tail fan.
Shrimp	Tergum (pl. terga)	One of a pair of internal opercular plates in barnacles (in goose barnacles, the upper external plate).
Shrimp	Tergum spur	A projection on the basal margin of the tergum in barnacles.
Shrimp	Thelycum	External pocket on the underside of the thorax of female penaeid shrimp, used for receiving the male sperm sac. Usually covered by 2 lateral plates (absent in white shrimp).
Shrimp	Third maxillipeds	The outermost part of the mouth appendages.
Shrimp	Thoracic segment	A segment between the carapace and the abdomen in mantis shrimp. The last pairs of walking legs are attached underneath.
Shrimp	Thorax	The part of the body between the head and abdomen.
Shrimp	Tubercle	A calcified and hard protuberance.
Shrimp	Uropod	Two pairs of flattened appendages that attach to the last segment of the abdomen.
Shrimp	Ventral	Pertaining to the underside or bottom.
Shrimp	Walking legs	Legs that are used for walking that do not possess a claw (except in shrimp, may be chelate.)
Turtle	Abdominal scutes	The pair of plastral scutes in nearly central position. They are in contact with the pectoral, femoral and inframarginal scutes.
Turtle	Alveolar	The ridges and inner grooves of the mandibles where the horny beak or tomium is implanted.
Turtle	Anal scutes	The rearmost pair of scutes of the plastron.
Turtle	Angular bone	Postventral element forming the lateral surface in each ramus of the lower mandible.
Turtle	Arribazon (Arrival)	Spanish word used to describe the simultaneous emergence of nesting females on a small stretch of sandy beach. It extends from several hours to several days. Also “Arribada” is used.
Turtle	Axillary notch	Frontal cavities on each side of the body between the carapace and plastron from which the fore flippers project.
Turtle	Axillary scutes	The variable number of scutes between the marginal, humeral and pectoral scutes, on the rear margin of the axillary notches.
Turtle	Body pit	A depression made by the female turtle on the sandy beach, during nesting. Shape and depth of the pit are generic characteristics.
Turtle	Bridge bones	Ventral parts of the shell that connects the peripheral bones of the carapace with the plastral bones. The contact area may be calcified or cartilaginous material.
Turtle	Calipash	Cartilaginous strips obtained from the edge of the carapace or extracted as jelly from the dried flippers. Generally of green colour when fresh.
Turtle	Calipee	Cartilage extracted from the border of the plastron, along the axillary and inguinal notches, the bridge and between the bones of the plastron. Calipee and calipash are used for the preparation of turtle soup.
Turtle	Carapace length	Distance either in straight line (SCL) or over the curve (CCL), between the anterior most edge to the rearmost edge of the carapace.
Turtle	Carapace width	Distance in straight line or over the curve across the widest part of the carapace, measured on its dorsal side.
Turtle	Carapace	Dorsal osseous shell of the turtle covered by horny scutes or soft skin.
Turtle	Central scutes	The middle scutes covering the neural plates of the carapace, in between the lateral scutes. Also named neural or vertebral scutes.
Turtle	Cervical vertebrae	Anterior bony elements of the vertebral column.
Turtle	Choanae	The internal openings of the nasal funnels through the vomerian bones on the palate.
Turtle	Claw	Sharp, horny nail on the anterior margin of the flippers. The claws (usually one or two on each flipper) are more strongly developed in males than in females and they are used to hold the female during copulation.
Turtle	Clutch size	Total number of eggs laid simultaneously to form a nest.
Turtle	Coronoid bones	Flat, paired, bony elements of the lower mandible.
Turtle	Costal plates	Expanded, ossified dermal plates fused to the axial skeleton (vertebrae and ribs), between the peripheral and neural plates of the carapace.
Turtle	Crawl	Symmetrical tract left by the fore and rear flippers of turtles on the sandy beach. Sizes and shapes of the crawl are considered characteristic for the species.
Turtle	Cusp	Sharp projection, usually on the tip of the jaws.
Turtle	Dentary bone	Largest element of the lower jaw, the principal support of the lower tomium.
Turtle	Endemic	Found only in a limited region.
Turtle	Entoplastron plate	Median bony plate lying between epiplastra and hyoplastra.
Turtle	Epifauna	Those animals living on the body of a turtle.
Turtle	Epiplastron plate	The foremost paired bony plates of the plastron.
Turtle	Farming	The culturing of sea turtles in tracts of sea water for commercial purposes. It must not rely on wild populations except initially or later occasionally, to avoid inbreeding problems and genetic degeneration.
Turtle	Femoral scutes	The pair of posterior plastral scutes in contact with the abdominal, inframarginal and anal scutes.
Turtle	Flotilla	Spanish name for a large number of migrant turtles drifting or swimming together in the open ocean.
Turtle	Fontanelles	Carapacial unossified areas between the peripheral and costal bones, usually disappearing with age.
Turtle	Frontal bone	The long bone above the orbit on each side of the skull.
Turtle	Gular scutes	The foremost paired scutes of the plastron.
Turtle	Head length	The distance between the tip of the beak and the posterior margin of the head.
Turtle	Head width	The distance across the widest part of the Head.
Turtle	Head starting	The practice of raising hatchling turtles in captivity for a few months to give them a better chance of survival when they are later released into the wild.
Turtle	Humeral scutes	The anterior paired scutes of the plastron, between the gular, pectoral and axillary scutes.
Turtle	Hyoplastron plates	The median front paired bony plates of the plastron.
Turtle	Hypoplastron plates	The median rear paired bony plates of the plastron.
Turtle	Imprinting	Theoretical procedure by which a sea turtle hatchling unconsciously “memorizes” environmental cues of its natal beach, that enables it to relocate the same beach when mature.
Turtle	Incidental catch	The unintentional catch of nontargetted species, such as turtles and bottom fishes during shrimp trawling.
Turtle	Incubation period	The time elapsed between egg laying and hatching. In sea turtles, it ranges from 45 to about 70 days, depending on species, temperature, humidity and latitude.
Turtle	Indigenous	An organism that originated and is living in a specified region.
Turtle	Interanal scute	The middle, rearmost plastron scute or scutes between the pair of anal scutes (sometimes absent).
Turtle	Isotherm	A theoretical warped plane or line in the water connecting points of equal temperature.
Turtle	Jugal bone	The long bone under the orbit, forming part of the cheek region on each side of the skull.
Turtle	Kraal	A pen used for holding turtles before slaughter; also an artificial beach for nesting purposes, an installation used to protect nests on a beach, or a fenced area against predation. Also called “corral”.
Turtle	Lateral scutes	The lateralmost scutes covering the carapace on both sides, between the central and marginal scutes. Also named pleural or costal scutes.
Turtle	Lepidosis	Configuration of the scales and scutes covering the body; of taxonomic value at genus level.
Turtle	lmbricate	Overlapping condition (like shingles on a roof) of the scutes of the carapace and plastron in the hawksbill sea turtle. Hatchlings and juveniles of other species commonly also have this condition.
Turtle	lnframarginal scutes	The scutes covering the bridge bones, between the ventral side of the marginal scutes and the central scutes of the plastron.
Turtle	lnguinal notch	The cavities on each side of the plastron from which the rear flippers project.
Turtle	lntergular scute	The middle, foremost plastron scute or scutes between the pair of gular scutes (sometimes absent).
Turtle	Lost year	The elapsed time between newborn hatchlings and growth to small plate size juveniles, during which the turtle is rarely encountered and its habits are largely unknown.
Turtle	Marginal scutes	The scutes covering the peripheral bones of the carapace, forming a hard edge all around it.
Turtle	Maxilla	The large bone extending up to the orbit and forming, with the premaxilla, the upper jaw margin.
Turtle	Melanism	The propensity of an organism to develop dark pigment throughout the skin.
Turtle	Mentonian scute	The scute under the tip of the lower Tomium.
Turtle	Nares	Pair of openings into the nose, the nostrils.
Turtle	Nekton	Free swimming organisms whose activity largely determines direction and speed of their movements, independent of water currents.
Turtle	Neritic	Relating to the waters over the continental shelves.
Turtle	Nest	The cavity where the eggs are laid by the turtles. Shape and depth differ by genus. It is also related to the clutch of eggs.
Turtle	Neural plates	Carapacial osseous plates fused to the vertebrae.
Turtle	Niche	The habits or role of an organism in a particular community. Mainly concerned with the food chain, competitors and enemies.
Turtle	Nucal bones (or plates)	The bones (usually two) are forming the foremost central part of the carapace.
Turtle	Orbital length	Longitudinal diameter of the eye socket.
Turtle	Papillary projections	Spine like growths presents in the throat of the sea turtles; they are more conspicuous in the leatherbacks.
Turtle	Parietal bones	The major elements of the skull roof between and behind the orbits.
Turtle	Pectoral girdle	Bones forming the support for the forelimbs or anterior flippers.
Turtle	Pectoral scutes	The median pair of scutes in contact with the humeral, inframarginal and abdominal scutes of the plastron.
Turtle	Pelvic girdle	Bones forming the support for the hindlimbs or posterior flippers.
Turtle	Peripheral bones (or plates)	Osseous elements forming the edge of the carapace.
Turtle	Philopatry	Tendency of sea turtles to nest in, or very near to, the previous nesting place, during the same or in successive breeding seasons. Also called “nesting site fixity or fidelity”.
Turtle	Pigal bones (or plates)	The rearmost marginal osseous plates that form the carapace.
Turtle	Pigal scutes	The rearmost pair of marginal scutes of the carapace. Also named postcentral, suprapigal, or supracaudal scutes.
Turtle	Pivotal temperature	Theoretical temperature at which incubation produces a sex ratio of 1:1.
Turtle	Plastron	Ventral osseous shell of the turtles, covered by horny scutes or soft skin.
Turtle	Postcentral scutes	The rearmost pair of marginal scutes of the carapace. Also named suprapigal, supracaudal or pigal scutes.
Turtle	Postorbital bone	The bone behind the orbit that forms part of each cheek of animal.
Turtle	Postorbital scales	The horny scales (usually 3 or 4) covering the sides of the head behind the orbits.
Turtle	Precentral scute	The foremost central scute of the carapace. Also named prevertebral, nucal or cervical scute.
Turtle	Prefrontal bones	A pair of circumorbital bones, extending anteriorly and also bordering the external nares.
Turtle	Premaxilla bones	The paired bones forming the front margin of the snout, supporting, together with the maxilla, the upper tomium.
Turtle	Preorbital length	The shortest distance between the anterior margin of the orbit and the tip of the snout. Also called preocular length.
Turtle	Quadrate bone	Thick bone close to the jaw articulation. Laterally, it is bound to the quadratojugal bone.
Turtle	Ranching	The raising of turtles from wild stock eggs or hatchlings to marketable size.
Turtle	Remigrant	Turtles that return to nest in a subsequent season.
Turtle	Renesting	Successive visits of a turtle to a nesting area, laying eggs each time.
Turtle	Ribs	Beneath the carapace of chelonians there are eight pairs of dorsal ribs fused to the costal or pleural and to the neural plates. The tips of the ribs are inserted in ventral pits of the peripheral bones.
Turtle	Scales	Thin, leathery or horny shields covering the head and flippers and forming callosities in some parts of the flippers.
Turtle	Scutes	Horny shields covering the carapace and plastron. The shape and size do not correspond with the underlying bony plates. The thickest and most valuable scutes are those of the hawksbill turtle.
Turtle	Sexual dimorphism	Morphological differences between males and females that appear at sexual maturity. Males develop stronger claws and thicker and longer tails. Females become heavier and have a deeper body shape.
Turtle	Squamosal bones	The principal component of the cheek region of the skull.
Turtle	Supracaudal scutes	The rearmost pair of marginal scutes of the carapace. Also named postcentral, pigal or suprapigal scutes.
Turtle	Supraoccipital bones	Paired bones of the upper part of the occiput at the back of the skull.
Turtle	Suprapigal scutes	The rearmost pair of marginal scutes of the carapace. Also named postcentral, pigal or supracaudal scutes.
Turtle	Surangular bones	The upper posterior bones of each ramus of the lower jaw.
Turtle	Vomerine bone	One of the pairs of osseous elements centrally placed behind the premaxillae and forming a bar between the internal nostrils or choanae.
Turtle	Xiphiplastron bones	The rearmost pair of bones forming the plastron.