Meeting Abstract
The panda cory catfish, Corydoras panda, is a small (maximum total length = 7.5 cm) armored catfish in the family Callichthyidae that lives in clear, fast-moving waters of South America. The body is covered by two rows of repeating, overlapping scutes that, presumably, serve to protect the fish from penetration via tooth puncture. The composition of the scutes has been described as having a superficial layer of highly mineralized, non-osseous, and non-collagenous hyaloine tissue covering a deeper bony base. Currently, there is no information describing the amount of scale overlap and mineralization of this hyaloine layer. The goal of this study was to provide insight into the composition (weight ratio of inorganic, organic, and water) and percent imbrication (overlap) of panda catfish scutes. The scutes are composed of 45% inorganic material, 15% organic, and 40% water content. The mineral content was similar to other armored fishes (Arapaima gigas scales 39%, Atractosteus spatula scales 20-98%, and Morone saxitilis scales 46%). However, the relatively low organic content with high water content is atypically high compared to these other fishes. The degree of scute imbrication was similar across the body with 26% overlap at the anterior region, 34% at the middle, and 32% at the posterior region. The degree of overlap was less than in A. gigas (60%) and Cyprinid species (up to 86%) and closer to that of A. spatula scales (30%). Despite their differences in scale shape and how the scales are connected, C. panda armor is most similar to the armor of A. spatula, for percent imbrication and in composition, as both are comprised of a mineralized layer overlaying a bony base.
