Alluvial Relating to, composed of, or found in alluvium, which is clay, silt, sand, gravel, or other similar material deposited by running water. Amphipod Small crustaceans living in or next to the water, including sand fleas and whale lice. Androdioecious Said of a plant species that has individuals with perfect flowers and individuals with staminate flowers. Areole A generally circular cluster of spines on members of the cactus family. Aril A special covering for seeds that develops from the seed stalk. It's often brightly colored, and serves as a signal for seed dispersers. Baleen plates Long plates of horny material that hang in rows from the roof of the mouth of some whales. They are used to strain food from the water. Blowhole A nostril opening on the top of the head of cetaceans (whales, porpoises, dolphins). Carapace Hard or chitinous covering or shield protecting the body of the animal, such as a crab. Cetacean Any member of the order Cetacea—a group of primarily marine mammals occurring throughout the world's oceans, as well as in some tropical rivers and lakes. The name whale is often used to refer to larger species, while dolphin or porpoise is used for the smaller members of the order. Clupeid Small silvery fishes in the Clupeidae family. The Herrings (Sardinas, Arenques) Commensal Living with, on or in another organism, without harm to either. See Teacher's Guide Activity 11 Compound eye Type of eye subdivided into many individual, light-receptive parts, such as that found in insects, crustaceans, etc. Deciduous To fall off or shed seasonally; usually refers to the leaves of a plant. Dioecious Said of a plant species which has some individuals which bear only staminate flowers, and some which bear only pistillate flowers, and there are no perfect flowers. These are the species that are commonly referred to as having male and female plants. Ectoparasite Parasite found on external part of the host's body. Endemic Belonging or native to a particular people or country. Estuary A partly enclosed coastal body of water, open to the ocean so that fresh and salt water are mixed. Fish Parts Fluke One of the lobes of the tail of a whale or dolphin. Gamete A gamete is a cell involved in sexual reproduction and contains one copy of each chromosome. In males, the gamete is the sperm; in females, it's the egg. Gastropods Mollusks in the class Gastropoda, typically with a single shell, including the snails, whelks, etc. Glabrous Having a surface without hairs or projections; smooth. Gynodioecious Said of a plant species that has individuals with perfect flowers and individuals with pistillate flowers. Hermaphrodite Having both male and female reproductive systems in the same individual. Heteropod Pelagic snails with a fin-like foot and reduced shell. Hydrocoral Marine colonial hydrozoan animals that have calcified skeletons. Hydrozoan Freshwater or marine coelenterates of the class Hydrozoa, such as the Portuguese man-of-war, hydras, etc. Kleptoparasite An animal that steals food from another animal. Lanceolate Shaped like a lance head, that is, tapering to a point at the apex and at the base. Lenticel A loose group of cells that penetrates the surface, such as the stem, of a woody plant. Gases are exchanged between the atmosphere and the underlying tissues through these cells. Mollusk An invertebrate of the phylum Mollusca, typically having a calcified shell of one or more parts, enclosing the soft body of the animal. Monoecious Said of a plant species in which all individuals bear both staminate and pistillate flowers, but there are no perfect flowers. For example, oaks—with male flowers in catkins, producing wind-borne pollen, and female flowers on the stems, producing acorns. Nauplius An early planktonic larval stage in many crustaceans. Nematocyst A minute capsule containing an ejectable thread with a stinger; found in certain coelenterates (corals, hydras, jellyfish). Nudibranch Shell-less marine snails. Obovate Shaped like an egg, with the narrow end at the base. Operculum Gill cover Ovipositor A specialized organ used for depositing eggs. Palmate Resembling a hand with the fingers outspread. Pectoral fins Paired fins, located just behind or below the gill slits, and used for lift and movement control. See fish diagram. Pelagic Of or relating to the open ocean. Pelvic fins See fish diagram. Perfect flowers Perfect (also called bisexual) flowers have both functional male parts (stamens or anthers capable of producing pollen) and functional female parts (pistil or ovary capable of producing seeds). Petiole Slender stem supporting the blade of a foliage leaf. Pinniped Any member of the various families of aquatic, fin-footed mammals in the order Carnivora. There are three existing families of pinnipeds: Odobenidae (walrus), Phocidae (earless seals), and Otariidae (eared seals). Pistillate Pistillate (or "female") flowers are ones which have a functional pistil, capable of producing seeds—but either have no stamens at all, or have stamens with anthers that are incapable of producing pollen. Planula Free-swimming larval stage of a coelenterate. Pneumatophores Roots that function as respiratory organs in wetland plants. Propagule A structure, such as a cutting, seed, or spore, that propagates a plant. Rookery A breeding ground, especially of gregarious birds or mammals; also a colony of such birds or mammals Sessile Permanently attached; not freely moving. Sky Island A metaphoric reference to high-elevation areas that are separated from each other by air (and other inhospitable habitat) in the same way that islands are separated by water. This means that individuals of species that live on one mountaintop may be unable to cross the intervening terrain to breed with related individuals on other mountaintops, even though they might be quite near. Spicules Small, hard bodies of silica or calcium carbonate that serve as the skeletal elements in sponges. Staminate Staminate (or "male") flowers are ones which have functional stamens, capable of producing pollen—but either have no ovary at all, or an ovary which is not fertile. Sterile Not capable of reproducing. Sterile flowers may have petals and sepals, but no funtional reproductive parts at all. Striae Linear bony ridges, present on the head bones (often the cheek or gill cover) of some fishes. Symbiotic Relationship of two dissimilar species living together. Trioecious Said of a plant species that has individuals with staminate flowers, individuals with pistillate flowers, and individuals with perfect flowers. Viviparity Quality or state of being viviparous. Viviparous In animals, giving birth to live young rather than laying eggs. In plants, seeds that germinate (sprout) while still attached to the parent plant.

Fish drawing by Liz Paegel

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