Meeting Abstract
Fish scales show tremendous morphological diversity, but relationships between scale morphology, ecology, and evolution are largely unknown. We use damselfish (Pomacentridae) to investigate the evolution of fish scale morphology and how scale shape changes with body shape and ecology in a comparative context. Pomacentrids are the third most diverse family of reef fish with close to 400 species. We collect 3D, 2D, and linear scale morphology data for 59 species of pomacentrids, using three to five individuals per species and sampling two areas of the body for each individual. Using published datasets and phylogenies, we investigate patterns between scale and body shape, as well as scales and feeding ecology. Our data show that anemonefish have smaller scales compared to other damselfish, perhaps tied to their association with anemones. Qualitatively, closely related damselfish seem to have similar scales compared to distantly related species, with the exception of species with extreme body shapes. We use data from a three-dimensional surface imaging system to compare scale morphology with modern methods for the first time, providing a framework for future studies in comparative scale morphology.
