Talk:Scale (zoology)

This article doesn't seem to cover the scales found on swordfish, which (as far as I know) do not fit into the normal categories of fish scales.


 * "Ichthyologists recognize four types of fish scale. The kosher variety of scales are cycloid (round) and ctenoid (comblike). The ganoid scale found on sturgeon, or the placoid scale of the shark are specifically excluded from the Biblical term kaskeses since they are not 'removable' scales without tearing the skin from the flesh. Even an educated layman would not see any similarity between the heavy bony plates of the sturgeon or the needle-like projections on the shark skin and the classic kosher scale of the whitefish or carp.
 * "In Fishery leaflet #531, U.S. Dept. of Interior, Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Wash. D.C., it states 'swordfish during early juvenile stage of life (up to 8 inches long), have "scales" that are markedly specialized and rather unique. They are in the form of bony tubercules or expanded compressed platelike bodies. These scales are rough, having spinous projections at the surface and they do not overlap one another as the scales in most fish do. With growth the scales disappear and the adult fish including those sold commercially have no scales.'
 * Excerpted from a Jewish article on the kosher status of swordfish.
 * Why swordfish in unclean

Expand please!
This page has so little information that I'd consider it a stub. If anyone could expand the definition of the types of scale, add references, and something on the function and Homology (biology) of scales that would be great. Ewjw 07:57, 11 March 2006 (UTC)

More articles on Reptile Scales, please!
The snake scales article is great, but I want to know about lizard scales and crocadillian scales, for example. IceDragon64 23:16, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Evolution of scales
I heard recently from a paleonthology teacher that tooth in fish evolved originally from scales and became later internalized in the mouth. Does somebody have sources for this? Dentren |  Ta lk  18:00, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Missing types
Which type are the bony scales on sturgeon?

What about bird scales (on legs and feet)? Presumably these are similar to reptile scales? Richard New Forest (talk) 10:08, 13 January 2010 (UTC)

Mammalian and Bird Scales?
I see Fish, Reptile, and Arthropod scales on this list, but I see nothing about scales on birds and mammals. Many birds have scales on their feet, and some mammals (e.g, the Pangolin, armadillo, the scaly tails of rats, etc. --TangoFett (talk) 07:38, 7 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Be bold. Add it! Its a work under progress. AshLin (talk) 12:57, 7 May 2010 (UTC)