dististele

plural dististeles

1. The distal portion of the tail-like appendage on a homoiostele.

   Coordinate term: proxistele

   1 more example

   The dististele in younger genera is greatly simplified from that of Coleicarpus and appears to function as a flexible buttressing rod to both hold the animal in place (into prevailing currents), as well as, provide a tail surface for locomotion.

   1997 October, R[onald] L. Parsley, “The echinoderm classes Stylophora and Homoiostelea: non Calcichordata”, in The Paleontological Society Papers, volume 3, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 241