hypobranchial muscle
Quick Summary
The term "hypobranchial" can refer to a muscle or a bone/cartilage. As an adjective, "hypobranchial" means situated below the gills or relating to the ventral wall of the pharynx. It can also refer to a segment of a branchial arch.1
In tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates), the hypobranchial muscles are reduced and modified compared to jawed fishes. These muscles originate from the pectoral girdle and attach to the hyoid bone and laryngeal cartilages. Their primary functions are in swallowing and sound production, such as depressing the hyoid or larynx. Some fibers of these muscles also form the internal musculature of the tongue.2
As a noun, "hypobranchial" refers to a hypobranchial bone or cartilage. The hyoid bone, for example, is a U-shaped bone in the neck that serves as an attachment for tongue muscles and muscles in the floor of the oral cavity.34
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
muscleJawed fishesThe hypobranchial muscles of jawed fishes are straplike muscles running from the pectoral girdle to the structures of the visceral skeleton, the jaws, and the gill bars. Some muscles, such as the coracomandibularis, are specialized as jaw openers, although most of the work of jaw opening…
Read MoreThe hypobranchial muscles of jawed fishes are straplike muscles running from the pectoral girdle to the structures of the visceral skeleton, the jaws, and the gill bars. Some muscles, such as the coracomandibularis, are specialized as jaw openers, although most of the work of jaw opening…
Read More- muscleTetrapod musculature
The hypobranchial muscles of tetrapods are both reduced and modified in comparison with those of jawed fishes. In tetrapods these straplike muscles still arise from elements of the pectoral girdle but now pass to the new derivatives of the gill arches of fishes: the hyoid bone…
Read MoreThe hypobranchial muscles of tetrapods are both reduced and modified in comparison with those of jawed fishes. In tetrapods these straplike muscles still arise from elements of the pectoral girdle but now pass to the new derivatives of the gill arches of fishes: the hyoid bone…
Read More