Vertebrae Development and Segmentation in the Caudal Region of Bony Fishes

I am conducting a study on the developmental patterns of caudal region vertebral centra in various groups of bony fishes. My study species includes seven teleost fish orders for which no data about centra development exists. The goals of the project are to increase knowledge of vertebrae development in unstudied groups, understand the distribution of chordacentra and autocentra formation in the caudal region of teleost fishes, and assess segmentation in the caudal region. 

A research project in collaboration with Nick Domke, a undergraduate student researcher from the University of Kansas, focused on development of the caudal fin skeleton of Capelin Mallotus villosus (Family Osmeridae). A large growth series of wild-caught Capelin were cleared and stained to study the sequence of development and morphology of each caudal fin skeleton element.

Download the PDF

Wiley, E.O., Fuiten, A.M., Doosey, M.H., Lohman, B.K., Merkes, C., Azuma, M. 2015. The development and morphology of the caudal skeleton of zebrafish, Danio rerio, from a phylogenetic perspective: a polyural interpretation of homologous structures. Copeia 103:740-750. PDF

Doosey, M.H., Wiley, E.O. 2015. Epural bones in teleost fishes: a problem of phylogenetic homology. Ichthyological Research 62:131-144. PDF

Doosey, M.H., *Domke, N.D. 2014. Early development of the caudal fin skeleton of Capelin, Mallotus villosus (Osmeridae). Copeia 2014:355-365. *University of Kansas undergraduate student researcher. PDF

Back to Research