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Morphological and functional body reconstruction in a teleost of the genus Oreochromis (Cichlidae)
Author(s) -
Fishelson Lev
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1052190102
Subject(s) - biology , fish fin , oreochromis , anatomy , fish <actinopterygii> , spine (molecular biology) , dorsal fin , skeleton (computer programming) , dorsum , larva , zoology , fishery , ecology , microbiology and biotechnology
The process of morphological and functional regeneration was followed on a tilapid fish, a cross of Oreochromis aureus × Oreochromis niloticus , by observations on movements and the use of X‐rays. A four‐year‐old adult fish that lost its tail as post larva, including ten vertebrae, was able to reconstruct a novel and shorter central skeleton, including a specially modified urostyle. The enlarged and strengthened pterygiophores and their junctions with the dorsal and anal spine formed a fast‐holding base for the fins, the posterior part of which largely performed the functions of the missing caudal fin. Although the fish was much shorter than usual, this male behaved and functioned normally. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.