otolite (otolit)

[ lowing order: cod, hake, haddock, whiting, conger, turbot, sole, gurnard, smelt, and trout. The concretions differ much in shape. In the conger the otolith is shaped like a sole, 14 inches long, inch wide, and is thin and gla y. In the cod it is of the size of a horse-bean, and is curved on itself. The ear-stones of the American sheepshead are shaped like a tamarind-seed, and look like pieces of milky quartz. They are often carried in the pocket as "lucky stones." 2. One of the proper otic bones of some animals, as certain fishes; an otosteon. See cuts under Esox and Python.=Syn. Otoliths, Otostea, Oto conia, and Otoconites are all concretions in the inmost ear; the two first-mentioned words are by some restricted to the large solid "ear-stones" of lower animals, while the latter two designate the small ones or very fine "ear dust" higher animals. They have properly no part in the bony structure of the ear, but a vibratory or concu ive function in audition. But otolith and otosteon are sometimes applied to the internal ear-bones of fishes. otolithic (ō-to-lith'ik), a. [ Also otolitic . Otolithic sac, in Hydrozoa , a lithocyst. Otolith us (ō-tol'i-thus), n. [NL., οὖς (ώτ-), ear, + λίθος , stone.] A genus of sciænoid fishes; weakfish: now commonly called Cynoscion. otolitic (ō-to-lit'ik), a. [ otolite + -ic.] Same as otolithic . otological (ō-to-loj'i-kal), a. [