@article {4128, title = {Effect of vitamin A on the skeletal morphogenesis of European sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Linnaeus, 1758)}, journal = {Aquaculture Research}, volume = {42}, year = {2011}, pages = {684{\textendash}692}, abstract = {

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin A levels in the larval diet of Dicentrarchus labrax, (a) on the shape of juvenile skeleton and (b) on the development of pelvic fins. To exclude the side-effects of skeletal abnormalities on skeleton shape, morphometric analysis was performed on normal individuals only. Geometric morphometric analysis revealed a significant effect of larval nutrition on the shape of juvenile skeleton (Wilk{\textquoteright}s λ=0.0188, P\<0.001), 55 days after the application of the different nutritional regimes. Between-groups shape differences mainly concerned the position of anterior dorsal pterygiophore, which was associated with a significant (P\<0.05) increase of the number of dorsal lepidotrichia and hard spines at low levels of vitamin A (3{\textendash}9 {\texttimes} 103\ IU\ kg-1 dry food). At the lowest vitamin A levels (3 {\texttimes} 103\ IU\ kg-1 dry food), the development of pelvic fins was abnormal, with severe bilateral (44{\textpm}10\%, mean{\textpm}SD) or unilateral (22{\textpm}9\%) lack of the fin lepidotrichia, hard spines and their supporting elements. In the 82{\textendash}94\% of the unilaterally deformed individuals, deformation concerned the left pelvic fin. Concerning the shape of pelvic fins in the normally developed individuals, results demonstrated a significant effect of nutritional conditions on the size and position of all the elements of the pelvic fin area (basipterygium, lower metacleithrum, cleithrum, scapula) (Wilk{\textquoteright}s λ=0.3087, P\<0.001). Our results demonstrate a significant nutritionally driven phenotypic plasticity in D. labrax, with dietary levels of vitamin A determining the skeleton shape and the left{\textendash}right symmetry of pelvic fins.

}, keywords = {Fish, limb asymmetry, phenotypic plasticity, retinol}, issn = {1365-2109}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2109.2010.02676.x}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2109.2010.02676.x}, author = {Georga, Ioanna and Glynatsi, Nomiki and Baltzois, Athanasios and Karamanos, Dimitrios and Mazurais, D and Darias, Maria and Cahu, Chantal L and Zambonino-Infante, J and Koumoundouros, Giorgo} }