Fishbone

Fishbone, besides being simply a term for any bone of a fish, is also a term for bony, rather delicate parts of the skeleton of bony fish, such as ribs and fin rays, but especially the ossification of connective tissue lying transversely inclined backwards to the ribs between the muscle segments and having no contact with the spine.

Not all fish have fishbones in this sense; for instance, eels and anglerfish do not.

There are several series of fishbones: Epineuralia, Epicentralia, Epipleuralia and Myorhabdoi.

Fishbones support the core muscles without inhibiting their motility.

In cuisine, fishbones are usually removed and not eaten. Because of their slim, tapered shape they may get caught in the windpipe and cause suffocation.