Fin rays

• These supporting rays may be bony, cartilaginous, fibrous or horny
• The movements of the fins are due to the action of the muscles, these movements being possible because of the articulations and often flexibility of these rays.

Types of fin rays

a) soft rays: These are thin, flexible, most often branched, segmented and always biserial (two lateral components paired on the midline).

b) Hard rays (Spines): A number of soft rays united solidity to compose hard rays which are stout, rigid, unsegmented, uniserial and sometimes sharply pointed.