anteopercle
|an-te-op-er-cle|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈɒp.ɚ.kəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tiˈɒp.ə.kəl/
before the gill cover
Etymology
'anteopercle' originates from Latin, specifically the elements 'ante' and 'operculum', where 'ante-' meant 'before' and 'operculum' meant 'little covering' (a lid).
'anteopercle' was formed in modern scientific/Latinized anatomical terminology from Latin components and by analogy with terms such as 'operculum' and 'preopercle', and was adopted in ichthyological descriptions to name the bone anterior to the operculum.
Initially it literally meant 'before the operculum'; over time it came to be used as the specific anatomical name for the bony element or region anterior to the gill cover in fishes.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a bony element in the opercular series of many fishes located anterior to the operculum (gill cover); synonymous with or closely related to the preopercle in ichthyology.
The ichthyologist measured the shape of the anteopercle to help identify the species.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 15:07