Convergent Body Shapes and Divergent Tissue Organization in Ornamental Goldfish
Body shape diversity in vertebrates can arise through both natural and artificial selection. Ornamental goldfish provide a powerful model because prolonged domestication has produced strains with strikingly different morphologies. This study compares representative goldfish strains and shows that Ryukin and Pearlscale goldfish share similarly globular body shapes. However, anatomical and histological analyses reveal that Pearlscale goldfish achieve this form through a thicker lateral body wall, increased adipose tissue, and reduced muscle fiber density, unlike Ryukin. These findings demonstrate that similar external morphologies can evolve through distinct developmental and tissue-level mechanisms, offering new insight into morphological convergence.
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