Interspecific differences and ecological correlations between scale number and skin structure in freshwater fishes

ABSTRACT: Abstract Fish skin is mainly composed of the epidermis, dermis, and its derivative scales. There is a wide diversity in scale number in fishes, but the diversity of skin structure lacks systematic histological comparison. This research aimed to improve our understanding of the functional relationship between the scale number and the skin structure in freshwater fishes and to determine which ecological factors affect the scale number and skin structure. First, we presented a method to quantify skin structure in fish and histologically quantified the skin structure of 54 freshwater fishes. Second, we collected the scale number and habitat information of 509 Cyprinidae fishes in China and explored which ecological factors were related to their scale number. Third, common carp and scaleless ca

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PROVIDER: S-EPMC10443616 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature