Glossary
A
- Abdomen
- The belly of the fish containing the internal organs.
- Adipose fin
- Small fleshy fin-like projection on the back of some fishes between the dorsal fin and the caudal fin (tail).
- Anal fin
- Fin on the belly behind the anus.
- Antennae
- Paired feelers on the head of crustaceans.
- Anterior
- Towards the head or front.
- Anus
- External opening to the intestine.
B
- Barbels
- Fleshy whisker-like extensions, usually under the mouth.
- Benthic
- Living close to or on the bottom.
- By-catch
- All catch other than the species sought (non-target species).
C
- Canine teeth
- Conical fang-like teeth on the jaws.
- Carapace
- Shell or exoskeleton encasing the body of a crustacean.
- Carnivorous
- Feeding or preying upon animals - flesh eating.
- Cartilage
- A substance more flexible than bone, but serving a similar structural purpose.
- Caudal peduncle
- The base of the tail between the anal fin and the caudal fin.
- Cheek cleft
- Cleft on gill cover.
- Crustacean
- Shellfish, e.g. prawns, crayfish, crabs, yabbies.
D
- Demersal
- Living on or near the sea bottom.
- Dimorphic
- Body shape and colour varies between the sexes.
- Diurnal
- Active during daylight.
- Dorsal fin
- Fins that run along the back of a fish (except an adipose fin).
E
- Elongate
- Extended in length.
- Estuarine
- Living in estuaries, the tidal reaches of rivers.
F
- Fillet
- Slab of flesh cut from the side of a fish.
- Finlets
- Series of separate small fins arranged along the back and belly usually between the dorsal fin and tail and/or anal fin tail.
G
- Gill arch
- Bony or cartilaginous structure supporting the gills.
- Gills
- The feathery organs by which fish extract oxygen from the water.
H
- Herbivorous
- Feeding on vegetable matter - plant eating.
I
- Ike jime
- Method of killing fish by inserting a sharp spike into their brain.
K
- Keel
- Hard ridge along the body usually on the head or caudal peduncle.
L
- Lateral line
- Sensory canal system, usually consisting of specialised scales, that runs along the sides of all fish. It is more visible in some fish than in others.
M
- Molar
- Blunt tooth used for crushing and grinding.
- Mollusc
- Shellfish such as oyster, scallops, squid, octopus, etc.
- Mucus
- Slimy substance secreted by mucus glands. Used by fish to protect their skin from disease, parasites and injury.
N
- Nape
- Neck region adjacent to skull.
- Nocturnal
- Active at night.
O
- Ocellus
- Round marking that mimics or simulates an eye.
- Omnivore
- Feeding on both animals and plants.
P
- Paired fins
- Pectoral and pelvic fins.
- Pelagic
- Living in the open ocean or sea above the sea floor.
- Pelvic
- Paired fins on the belly before the anal fin.
- Planktivore
- Feeding on plankton.
- Plankton
- Tiny plant and animal life adrift in the water column.
- Posterior
- Towards the tail or rear.
R
- Rostrum
- Beak-like extension on the carapace of some crustaceans.
S
- Scutes
- Modified spiny scales that form hard plates along the tails of some fish.
- Shellfish
- General term for crustaceans and molluscs.
- Soft dorsal fin
- Dorsal fin supported by flexible rays rather than rigid spines.
- Spinous dorsal fin
- Dorsal fin supported by rigid spines.
- Swim bladder
- Sac-like organ in fish's abdomen containing air - air bladder.
T
- Terminal
- Located at the end of something.
U
- Uniform colour
- Having only one colour.
V
- Ventral
- Of or pertaining to the underside.
Further information
Search the Australian Fish Names Database.