Tongue and hyobranchial apparatus Tongues are attached to the jaw by a short muscle plus connective and mucosal tissue. Tongues are protrusible but not projectile. The hyobranchial skeleton includes a urohyal, cylindrical basibranchial, and radii that are rodlike structures independent of the basibranchial. The basibranchial, first ceratobranchial and epibranchial elements are of approximately equal length. The first ceratobranchial is larger than the second ceratobranchial and constitutes the main force-transmitting element in movement of the tongue.
Embryos have four epibranchials.
The rectus cervicis profundis muscle is linearly arranged and the rectus cervicis superficialis has a lateral slip. Omohydoideus, genioglossus, circumglossus, intraglossus and basiradialis muscles are present. The hyoglossus muscle is large and has a complete anterior section and posteriorly oriented fibers in the posterior section. The suprapeduncularis muscle is weakly developed. The vomer has a bony shelf anterior to the preorbital process.