Epibranchial

1920, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, Volumes 8-9, Royal Society of South Africa, page 92, According to T. J. Parker, they probably represent the epibranchial region of the second branchial arch, and Beddard also refers them to the same arch.

We demonstrate that in the chick head, integration between the epibranchial placodes and the hindbrain is achieved as the neuroglial hindbrain crest cells guide the epibranchial neuronal cells inward to establish their central connections.

The fourth and fifth epibranchials of other genera have the same tendency as these clupeids and salmonids.

In the place where Howes's (1985b) fig. 9 identifies epibranchial 4, our Gonorynchus specimen has both epibranchials 4 and epibranchial 5, not in contact except at their dorsal fusion and ventral articulation, as illustrated in Monad (1963, fig. 40) (epibranchial 5 identified as "cartilage semilunaire").

Branchial abductors move the epibranchials apart, opening the gill slits.