These data suggest two hypotheses: (1) smoother-edged leading edge denticles protect the previous gill flap from abrasion during respiration, and (2) ridged denticle morphology at the trailing edge might alter water turbulence exiting branchial pouches after passing over the gills. Overall, leading edge denticles were smoother-edged than trailing edge denticles in all of the species studied. Surface skew was also higher in leading edge denticles ( P = 0.009), though most values were still negative, indicating a surface texture more dominated by valleys than peaks. Across all species studied, there were significant differences in denticle length ( P = 0.01) and width ( P = 0.002), with shorter and wider leading edge denticles compared with trailing edge denticles.
#SHARKS 3D GOOGLE SKIN#
We show that (1) interbranchial skin denticles differ across shark species, and (2) denticles on the leading edge of the skin covering each gill pouch have different morphology and surface topography compared with denticles on the trailing edge. Previous studies have demonstrated differences in denticle morphology both among species and across different body regions within a species, including one report of extreme morphological variation within a 1 cm distance on the skin covering the branchial pouches, a region termed “interbranchial skin.” We used gel-based profilometry, histology, and scanning electron microscopy to quantify differences in denticle morphology and surface topography of interbranchial skin denticles among 13 species of sharks to better understand the surface structure of this region. Shark skin is covered in dermal denticles-tooth-like structures consisting of enameloid, dentine, and a central pulp cavity.
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