Development of the mandibular, hyoid arch and gill arch skeleton in the Chinese barb Puntius semifasciolatus: comparisons of ossification sequences among Cypriniformes

Abstract

The morphogenesis and sequence of ossification and chondrification of skeletal elements of the jaws, and hyoid arch and gill arches of Puntius semifasciolatus are described. These data provide a baseline for further studies and enable comparisons with other described cypriniforms. Some general patterns of ossification in the hyoid arch and branchial arches in cypriniforms were notable. First, the overall development is from anterior to posterior, with the exception of the fifth ceratobranchial bone, which ossifies first. Second, where ossification of iterated elements is sequential, it tends to proceed from posterior to anterior, even when more posterior chondrifications are the smallest in the series. Ossification of the ceratobranchial, epibranchial and pharyngobranchial bones tends to proceed from ventral to dorsal. The comparisons revealed small sets of skeletal elements whose ossification sequence appears to be relatively conserved across cyprinid cypriniforms. Several potentially key timing changes in the ossification sequence of the jaws, hyoid arch and gill arches were identified, such as the accelerated timing of ossification of the fifth ceratobranchial bone, which may be unique to cypriniforms.

Homology of the Fifth Epibranchial and Accessory Elements of the Ceratobranchials among Gnathostomes: Insights from the Development of Ostariophysans

“…In the three species examined, all epibranchials 1–4 appear early in development, at 5.6 mm SL (4 DPH) in P. argenteus , 7.7 mm SL (3 DPH) in L. alexandri , and 3.8 mm SL (3 DPH) in P. corruscans . This pattern, in which all four epibranchials appear early in development either simultaneously or within a short time interval, has also been reported for species of other ostariophysan lineages, such as Gonorynchiformes (Chanidae [42], [43]), Cypriniformes (Cyprinidae [44]–[48], Catostomidae [49]), Characiformes (Characidae [26], [50]), and Siluriformes (e.g. Pangasiidae and Schilbidae [51]; Ariidae and Plotosidae [52]; Bagridae [53]; Clariidae and Heteropneustidae [54]; Clariidae [55], [56]; Callichthyidae [57]; Loricariidae [58]), as well as in a representatives of the closely related Clupeiformes (Clupeidae [59]).…”

“…This suggests a putatively heterochronic event in epibranchial formation in Polypterus , since the epibrachial of many actinopterygians appear early in ontogeny, just after the formation of all ceratobranchial elements (e.g. [42], [48], [49], [118], current study).…”

Developmental osteology of Sciaenops ocellatus and Cynoscion nebulosus (Teleostei: Sciaenidae), economically important sciaenids from the western Atlantic

“…Overall, elements of the skeleton develop at smaller sizes in C. nebulosus than in S. ocellatus . This is not surprising as it is generally observed that smaller species tend to develop quicker than larger bodied, closely related species; a concept first proposed by Reiss () and observed in the skeletal development of Puntius semifasciolatus by Block and Mabee (). Despite the difference in overall size at first appearance of skeletal elements between C. nebulosus and S. ocellatus , no major differences are observed between the sequences of ossification for the two species by region (Figs and ), other than relatively minor differences involving the switching of one or two bones in the order of the sequence (see comparisons between ossification sequence of S. ocellatus and C. nebulosus ).…”

“…; Engeman et al . ; Block and Mabee ; Engeman and Mabee ) may be indicative of the significance of this element to the biology of cypriniform fishes in general.…”

Morphological novelty and modest developmental truncation in Barboides, Africa's smallest vertebrates (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)

“…As in the case of the danionine cyprinids Paedocypris (Britz & Conway, ) and Danionella (Britz & Conway, ) and the characiform Priocharax (Mattox, Britz, & Toledo‐Piza, ), we were interested to see if the bones that fail to ossify in Barboides are bones that otherwise form in the later stages of skeletal development in closely related nonminiature cyprinine relatives. Few developmental studies exist for cyprinines and those which are available focus only on the cranium ( Barbus barbus , Vandewalle, Focant, Huriaux, & Chardon, ) or the viscerocranium ( Barbodes semifasciolatus , Block & Mabee, ) and therefore we compiled the ossification sequence of the entire skeleton of the African cyprinine ‘ Barbus ’ holotaenia as our reference sequence (Figure ). Following the approach developed by Britz and Conway (), we mapped the bone absences in Barboides onto the ossification sequence derived from ‘ B .’ holotaenia .…”