A small stone or mineral formation within the inner ear of fish that helps with balance and hearing (also called an otolith or ear bone).
From 'ear' plus 'stone,' literally describing hard mineral structures in the fish ear. The scientific name 'otolith' comes from Greek 'ōt-' (ear) plus 'líthos' (stone), showing how different languages named the same structure.
Fish eairstones are like natural hard drives—they record the fish's whole life in rings, and scientists can read them to determine exact age, migration patterns, and even water temperature the fish experienced, making them tiny time capsules.
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