Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A genus of starfishes, of the family Asterinidæ: synonymous with Palmipes. The species are known as sea-stars.
  • noun [lowercase] An otolith lodged, in most fishes, in a diverticulum of the vestibule, beneath the ampulla of the posterior canal.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Anat.) The smaller of the two otoliths found in the inner ear of many fishes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun anatomy One of the otoliths found in the lagena of many nonmammalian vertebrates.

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Comments

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  • The smaller of the two pair of otoliths found in the inner ear of many fishes (plural is asterisci).

    March 12, 2009

  • What is the name of the larger?

    March 12, 2009

  • The lapillus. Fishes also have a third pair of otoliths called sagittae (singular sagitta).

    I fixed my previous post so it's more accurate. :-)

    March 12, 2009