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Skeletal Development of Fishes: Using New Technologies to Study Bone...
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Skeletal Development of Fishes: Using New Technologies to Study Bone Biology

A special issue of Fishes (ISSN 2410-3888).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2025) | Viewed by 3304

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stefanos Fragkoulis

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Guest Editor
Research Department, Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation, 17676 Athens, Greece
Interests: bone biology; fish Skeleton; ontogeny; morphology; anatomy; finfish species
Dr. Kevin J. Parsons

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
Interests: evo-devo; eco-devo; phenotypic plasticity; morphometrics; anatomy; fish skeleton

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The skeleton has multiple functions in finfish species, such as protection, locomotion, mineral metabolism, and lipid storage. It undergoes major changes throughout the growth of the fish, especially during its early developmental stages. Additionally, observing the development of the finfish of the early stages, particularly the brevity and transparency of the embryonic and larval stages, has played led to major breakthroughs in bone biology research. Although traditional techniques used in skeletal development (both normal and abnormal) and even skeletal diseases (e.g., osteogenesis imperfecta and osteomalacia) are well established, the use of new technologies remains limited. In this context, the rapid development of next-generation sequencing technologies and bioinformatics could aid significant breakthroughs in research focusing on fish bone biology. Therefore, for this Special Issue of Fishes, we invite authors to submit original research articles and reviews that focus on the field of bone biology for the finfish species, particularly studies that adopt an interdisciplinary approach and examine bone biology from various perspectives within the broader field of fish biology. The ultimate objective is to establish connections between different research areas of bone biology and fill knowledge gaps by providing solutions for all issues in the sector of fish biology, both present and future.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Stefanos Fragkoulis
Dr. Kevin J. Parsons
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Fishes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bone biology
  • fish skeleton
  • skeletal development
  • skeletal diseases
  • anatomy
  • histology
  • morphology
  • finfish species

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 4824 KB  
Article
The Analysis of Transitional or Caudal Vertebrae Is Equally Suitable to Determine the Optimal Dietary Phosphorus Intake to Ensure Skeletal Health and Prevent Phosphorus Waste in Salmonid Aquaculture
by Mursal Abdulkadir Hersi, Thomas William Kenneth Fraser, Saskia Kröckel, Per Gunnar Fjelldal and Lucia Drábiková
Fishes 2025, 10(12), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10120617 - 2 Dec 2025
Viewed by 305
Abstract
A prolonged dietary phosphorus (P) deficiency can result in reduced growth and vertebral deformities in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Severe deformities can impair swimming and lead to chronic stress associated with muscular fibrotic scarring. Conversely, excess dietary P contributes to [...] Read more.
A prolonged dietary phosphorus (P) deficiency can result in reduced growth and vertebral deformities in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Severe deformities can impair swimming and lead to chronic stress associated with muscular fibrotic scarring. Conversely, excess dietary P contributes to farm effluents and environmental pollution. Vertebral centra ash content and mechanical strength both respond rapidly to suboptimal dietary P supply, but measuring all of salmon’s 59 vertebrae is time consuming. As such, this study assessed whether vertebrae from two commonly assessed regions (transitional and caudal) vary in their response to different dietary P levels. Atlantic salmon with an initial average weight of 1.8 kg (December 2022) were fed one of four experimental diets containing an increasing level of inorganic P (6.1–10.7 g/kg total P, 2.3–5.8 g/kg available P). Animals were distributed across 16 sea cages in a quadruplicated design. The regional differences in vertebral centra were assessed at two sampling points: in April 2023 following a slow growth period, and in July 2023 following a fast growth period. The growth of the caudal vertebrae in length surpassed the extension of the transitional vertebrae during the fast growth period. The bone mineralisation measured through vertebral centra ash and mechanical strength was however comparable between the regions, indicating that the rate of mineralisation was adjusted to the growth of the vertebrae. Only two parameters, yield point, which specifies the amount of energy that vertebra can absorb before it is permanently compressed, and toughness, a measure of stress per unit volume required to cause a fracture, showed regional differences. Considering transitional vertebrae, the estimated requirements were 4.1 g/kg available P in April and 4.4 g/kg in July, while the requirements based on caudal vertebrae were 3.7 g/kg in April and 4.6 g/kg in July. As such, both the transitional and caudal regions are equally suitable for a prompt recognition of suboptimal dietary P levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Skeletal Development of Fishes: Using New Technologies to Study Bone Biology)
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17 pages, 32026 KB  
Article
Histological, Immunohistochemical, and Ultrastructural Characterization of Cartilage in Molly Fish (Poecilia sphenops): Insights into Skeletal Adaptations in Teleosts
by Doaa M. Mokhtar, Mohammed A. Abdel-Ghani, Enas A. Abdelhafez, Marco Albano, Khalid M. Alkhodair and Giacomo Zaccone
Fishes 2025, 10(5), 202; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10050202 - 30 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1948
Abstract
Cartilage is a crucial component of the vertebrate skeletal system, providing structural integrity, flexibility, and adaptive functions across species. In teleost fish, cartilage exhibits significant morphological and functional diversity, providing specialized biomechanical properties essential for aquatic life. This study presents a detailed histological, [...] Read more.
Cartilage is a crucial component of the vertebrate skeletal system, providing structural integrity, flexibility, and adaptive functions across species. In teleost fish, cartilage exhibits significant morphological and functional diversity, providing specialized biomechanical properties essential for aquatic life. This study presents a detailed histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural investigation of cartilage in molly fish (Poecilia sphenops), identifying five distinct types of cartilage: hyaline-cell, scleral, cell-rich hyaline, elastic cell-rich, and matrix-rich hyaline cartilage. Histological staining techniques revealed notable differences in cellular architecture and composition of the extracellular matrix among the cartilage types. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the expression of S100 protein and acetylcholinesterase (Ach), suggesting their involvement in cartilage regulation and maintenance. Endochondral ossification was observed in the head and gill arches. Electron microscopy provided detailed insights into chondrocyte morphology, interactions between cartilage and the perichondrium, and interactions between telocytes and fibroblasts. The findings enhance our understanding of skeletal adaptations in teleost fish, emphasizing the functional diversity of cartilage in aquatic environments. This study contributes to evolutionary biology and may have implications for regenerative medicine and biomaterials research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Skeletal Development of Fishes: Using New Technologies to Study Bone Biology)
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Other

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10 pages, 5155 KB  
Protocol
Development of Primary Cell Cultures from Haplochromine Cichlid Bone-Derived Tissues
by Deepti Negi, Penelope M. Tsimbouri, Matthew J. Dalby and Kevin J. Parsons
Fishes 2025, 10(12), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes10120636 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 167
Abstract
Bone is a dynamic tissue with ecological and evolutionary importance, as it can grow and remodel itself in response to mechanical stimuli. In mammals, osteocytes are widely recognised as the central regulators of bone formation and mechanotransduction. However, many advanced teleosts lack these [...] Read more.
Bone is a dynamic tissue with ecological and evolutionary importance, as it can grow and remodel itself in response to mechanical stimuli. In mammals, osteocytes are widely recognised as the central regulators of bone formation and mechanotransduction. However, many advanced teleosts lack these cells yet still exhibit evidence of bone formation and remodelling. This challenges the prevailing view that osteocytes are indispensable for these processes. Notably, these anosteocytic teleosts exhibit clear responses to mechanical loading, suggesting alternative mechanisms at play. African cichlids, known for their remarkable ecological diversification, which occurs in craniofacial bone morphology. However, these differences are based on very few genetic changes, while including interspecific variation in bone remodeling capacities. Thus, cichlid, being anosteocytic, and variable in remodeling abilities based on very few genetic changes, represents an ideal model system for understanding the mechanisms underlying remodeling. This protocol outlines the development of primary cell cultures from cichlid jaw bones that can be applied across species, establishing a foundation for future research aimed at elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying bone formation and remodelling in anosteocytic systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Skeletal Development of Fishes: Using New Technologies to Study Bone Biology)
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