Meeting Abstract

P3.117  Sunday, Jan. 6  Condensations to Mineralizations: The Development of the Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Infraorbital Bones CHANG, C; FRANZ-ODENDAAL, TA*; Saint Mary’s University; Mount Saint Vincent University tamara.franz-odendaal@msvu.ca

The infraorbital bones make up five of the eight dermal bones found in the orbital region of the zebrafish skull. This series of bones ossifies in a consistent sequence starting with infraorbital one, and then infraorbitals three and five. Infraorbital four ossifies next and finally, infraorbital two, which is the last bone in this series and also the last bone in the zebrafish skull to ossify. We conducted a detailed analysis of the condensation to ossification phases of development of these bones. Our analyses involved both bone and osteoblast staining of zebrafish at twenty different time-points. Infraorbital bone condensations are shaped as templates of the final bone shape, and they mineralize at one or more centers of ossification. Initially mineralization is closely associated with the lateral line canals and/or foramen. Our comprehensive growth series detailing the ossification of each infraorbital bone provides important insight into how the bones in this series achieve their shape and paves the way for future studies in teleost skeletal biology.