Ontogenetic development of the horn and hump of the Chinese cavefish Sinocyclocheilus furcodorsalis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae)

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2019

Abstract

Cave adaptation has given rise to a diversity of unusual morphologies. One prominent character in Chinese cavefishes of the genus Sinocyclocheilus is the presence of a skull horn and a dorsal hump. These characters are present only in species that are troglobitic. Here we examine the osteological growth that underlies the horn and the hump of the species S. furcodorsalis using micro computed tomography. We tested the hypothesis that all structures grow isometrically, and found that the skull and the bony shelf that supports the horn grow isometrically in all dimensions. The neural spine of the first vertebrae, on the other hand, grew allometrically, getting taller and thinner with time. When comparing each structure with skull growth, the horn grew isometrically in the anterior-posterior and the medial-lateral dimensions. But the horn grew faster in height than the skull. The neural spine grew isometrically with the skull in the rostral-caudal dimension, but allometrically in the dorsal-ventral and medial-lateral dimensions. Even though the function of the horn and the hump are not known, our results suggest that heterochronic changes has led to allometric growth in these structures.

Identifier

85062966861 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Environmental Biology of Fishes

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-019-00867-6

e-ISSN

15735133

ISSN

03781909

First Page

741

Last Page

746

Issue

5

Volume

102

Grant

GEFC-15-16

Fund Ref

Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Chinese Academy of Sciences

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS