Ontogenic development of surface ornamentation in the scales o fHemichromis bimaculatus (Cichlidae)

The scale surface of laboratory‐raised Hemichromis bimaculatus selected from five age classes contains two regions, each characterized by a distinct ornamentation. The boundary between them corresponds to the anterior limit of the epidermis that covers the free region of the scale. In the overlapped region, the circuit and denticles are oriented toward the focus of the scale and form a classical pattern of ornamentation. During growth, the size of circuli and denticles does not change after they are formed. They appear stable at the species level and could thus be used in systematics. The ornamentation of the free region of the scale is composed of rounded tubercles, elongated ridges and sometimes ctenii. These structures appear long after the scales have been formed and thereafter grow and thicken throughout the life of the fish. The ontogenetic changes suggest that these characters should be used cautiously for taxonomic studies. The ridges of the scales of wild specimens are distinctly organized in a pattern that is lacking in laboratory specimens. Mechanical and hydrodynamical implications of the ornamentation are discussed.