A pair of small bones in the skull that form part of the braincase in fish and some other vertebrates.
From Greek 'ektos' (outside) and 'sphenoid' (wedge-shaped bone), referring to the location outside the main sphenoid bone. Used in comparative vertebrate anatomy.
Your sphenoid bone is a wedge at the base of your skull, and in fish there are extra 'ectosphenoid' versions—it's like comparing a simple blueprint in fish to the more complex architecture of a human skull!
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