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X-ray Microtomography Study of Cranium, Pectoral Fin and Girdle, and Weberian Apparatus Development in Juvenile Triplophysa stewarti (Nemacheilidae)

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Abstract

The stone loach genus Triplophysa is a major component of the Tibetan Plateau ichthyofauna, and its taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships are far from resolved. Skeletogeny patterns contain useful phylogenetic signals, but developmental data for Triplophysa are scarce. Here, we present an X-ray microtomography study of the development of the cranium, pectoral fin and girdle, and Weberian apparatus of juvenile Triplophysa stewarti (12–55 mm standard length). We reveal that the smallest juveniles possess a fontanelle and well-developed Weberian ossicles. Furthermore, the development of the cranium, pectoral fin and girdle, and bony capsule of the Weberian apparatus is illustrated, such as the suturation of preethmoid I to prevomer, the reduction of pectoral radials from four to three by fusion of the most internal two. A paired bony capsule fully enclosing the anterior swim bladder room characterizes the Weberian apparatus of nemacheilid and balitorid loaches. Our data demonstrate that the anterior wall of the bony capsule originates from a vertical plate expanded from the descending process 2, which is a homologue to the “anterior plate” in the superfamily Cobitoidea sensu lato, with the exception of Cobitidae. The lateral process 2 separates from this anterior plate. The horizontal process 4 expands anteriorly to meet the anterior wall, and when posteriorly expanded and curved downward, finally fuses with the bottom wall to close the bony capsule. Accelerated or retarded development of the aforementioned skeletal structures will result in differentiated features in Triplophysa and related nemacheilid genera.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions that improved the manuscript. Thanks to Prof. Gloria Arratia (University of Kansas, USA) and Prof. Lawrence M. Page (University of Florida, USA) for their helpful comments and the proof reading of our manuscript.

Funding

This project was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (32070436, 31672250), and the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition Program (2019QZKK05010102).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China

    Y. He

  2. Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Science, Wuhan, China

    D. K. He

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He, Y., He, D.K. X-ray Microtomography Study of Cranium, Pectoral Fin and Girdle, and Weberian Apparatus Development in Juvenile Triplophysa stewarti (Nemacheilidae). J. Ichthyol. 63, 179–191 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0032945223020078

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