Fishionary

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By Abigail Lynch

A blog about fish words!

Scute

Posted by abby on January 29, 2016
Sturgeon have multiple rows of protective bony scutes.

Sturgeon have multiple rows of protective scutes.

A scute is an external bony plate on the surface of a fish.  Scutes serve a protective function, acting as a body armor for fish against environmental abrasions and even predation. In some fishes, such as Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), scutes are a row of scales modified into sharp, protective plates.  In other fishes, like Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus), scutes serve a homologous function but are derived from ossified deposits in the dermis (essentially bone over skin).

Posted in: S | Tagged: body armor, scales, scute, sturgeon

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