Three-dimensional analysis of scale morphology in bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus

Fish scales are morphologically diverse among species, within species, and on individuals. Scales of bony fishes are often categorized into three main types: cycloid scales have smooth edges; spinoid scales have spines protruding from the body of the scale; ctenoid scales have interdigitating spines protruding from the posterior margin of the scale. For this study, we used two- and three-dimensional (2D and 3D) visualization techniques to...