The lateral line system and its innervation in the boxfish Ostracion immaculatus (Tetraodontiformes: Ostraciidae): description and comparisons with other tetraodontiform and perciform conditions

The lateral line system and its innervation were examined in the ostraciid Ostracion immaculatus (Tetraodontiformes), and compared with those in the triacanthodid Triacanthodes anomalus (Tetraodontiformes) and the acropomatid Malakichthys wakiyae (Perciformes). The carapace of O. immaculatus was composed of 6 cephalic and 2 trunk lateral lines, all neuromasts being categorized as “superficial.” Triacanthodes anomalus was identical with O. immaculatus in the absence of the mandibular line and its innervating ramus, whereas in M. wakiyae the line and ramus were present. All neuromasts were “superficial” in the former two, but “canal” in the latter. Judging from the essentially identical lateral line topography and innervation patterns in all three species, the superficial neuromasts in the two tetraodontiforms were considered to have resulted from replacement of canal neuromasts. The number of neuromasts in the cephalic lateral lines of O. immaculatus (106) and T. anomalus (91) were similar, being significantly higher than in M. wakiyae (30). However, the reverse was true for the trunk lateral lines, the two tetraodontiforms having fewer neuromasts (39 in O. immaculatus, 47 in T. anomalus) compared with M. wakiyae (59).

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