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Write a comparative account of thyroid gland in fish

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The anatomy of the thyroid gland among "fishes": Phylogenetic implications for the Vertebrata

Article (PDF Available)  in Cybium: international journal of ichthyology 38(2):90-116 · April 2014 with 3,025 Reads

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Bruno Chanet

Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle



Francois Jean Meunier

Abstract

A study on the structure of the thyroid gland of 288 vertebrate species, conducted both on 99 dissections and analysis of the literature, leads to propose the following interpretations: i) the presence of this gland is a synapomorphy of Vertebrata; ii) a compact gland is a synapomorphy of Gnathostomes; iii) a diffuse gland is a possible synapomorphy of Halecostomes; iv) several independent cases of concentration in a few lobes in several groups, like Scaridae, Scombridae and some Carangimorphariae occurred and even a compact gland in Osteoglossomorphes. Moreover, the scattering of thyroidian islets in other organs (cephalic kidney, choroid,…) has occurred several times in teleost lineages and a compact thyroid gland embedded in a blood sinus appears to be a probable synapomorphy of Tetraodontiformes and Lophiiformes.