caudal procurrent ray set

An anatomical cluster of short rays, shorter than the principal ones, which form the anterior dorsal and ventral series of lepidotrichia of the caudal fin that may be associated with neural spines, epurals and uroneurals (dorsal series) and haemal spines of preural vertebrae (ventral series) (Arratia, 2008). The anteriormost procurrent rays are commonly unsegmented, but the posteriormost ones are usually segmented. The procurrent rays are numbered from caudal to rostral direction. The caudal procurrent ray series is an unpaired median series.