Dorsal Ribs

a pair of thin bones in teleosts. The dorsal ribs are located in the myocommata—the connective-tissue layers between the muscle segments, or myomeres. They are attached to the neural arch, to the body of a vertebra, or to another rib. The dorsal ribs develop indirectly from the connective tissue and serve a supportive function. Some of the myomere fibers are attached to the dorsal ribs.

In fish of the families Cyprinidae and Clupeidae, each myomere has several pairs of dorsal ribs. As a result, the flesh of these fishes is particularly bony.