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Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Method of Studying Palatal Fusion using Static Organ Culture
Published on: September 19, 2015
Vacchi's palatal organ: a widespread trait in Holocephali
B Finucci1, L Gallus2, A Amaroli2,3
1School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand.
Abstract:
A palatal organ, possibly used for food sorting and processing, has previously been identified among the vomerine toothplates of the chimaeroid Chimaera monstrosa. In this study, the palatal organ was described in six additional species, confirming it is a widespread trait among holocephalans. It is proposed that this palatal structure, which appears to differ in shape according to each chimaeroid's degree of durophagy and is not homologous to the palatal structure described in teleosts, be hereby referred to as Vacchi's organ.
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