A morphologic study of the structure of the tail fin in eight species of teleosts was performed by aid of the Picrosirius-polarization method, which is a specific histochemical method for the detection of collagen in tissue sections. This structure is composed mainly of skeletal elements, the fin rays, covered by skin. Fin rays are bound to each other and to the surrounding tissues by a series of collagenous ligaments forming a complex, highly pliable and resistant structure. Although the general structural pattern of tail fins was consistent in all species studied, the comparative aspects reported in this paper show that variations in the form and size of their components are responsible for the morphologic diversities which are closely related to specific functional adaptations. Morphometric data on the number and size of actinotrichia in normal adult specimens are presented.

The distribution and demographic patterns of marine organisms in the north Atlantic were largely shaped by climatic changes during the Pleistocene, when recurrent glacial maxima forced them to move south or to survive in northern peri-glacial refugia. These patterns were also influenced by biological and ecological factors intrinsic to each species, namely their dispersion ability. The ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta), the largest labrid fish along Europe's continental margins, is a target for fisheries and aquaculture industry. The phylogeographic pattern, population structure, potential glacial refugia and recolonization routes for this species were assessed across its full distribution range, using mitochondrial and nuclear markers. The existence of a marked population structure can reflect both recolonization from three distinct glacial refugia and current and past oceanographic circulation patterns. Although isolated in present times, shared haplotypes between continental and Azores populations and historical exchange of migrants in both directions point to a common origin of L. bergylta. This situation is likely to be maintained and/or accentuated by current circulation patterns in the north Atlantic, and may lead to incipient speciation in the already distinct Azorean population. Future monitoring of this species is crucial to evaluate how this species is coping with current environmental changes.

The following basement membranes (BMs) from representative species of the main vertebrate classes were studied by the Picrosirius-polarization method: lens capsule, Reichert's membrane and glomerular BMs. A distinct birefringence was consistently observed in all BMs from all species studied by this method. The results reported provide a strong evidence for collagen macromolecular orientation in BMs. Heparitin sulphate was the only glycosaminoglycan detected in dogs lens capsules.

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