I could be wrong but it is possible that this is an example of hyperostosis,
the enlargement of particular areas of fish bones. Such items are known as
‘butterfly bones’ or ‘Tilly bones’. These unusually thickened bones may occur
in the axial or cranial skeleton of some marine fishes, and are named for
Tilly Edinger of Harvard who studied these structures. The exact cause is not
known although it has been suggested that it may be a response to pollution,
or possibly a disease, however evidence suggests that it has a genetic cause.
Depending on what you read, Hyperostosis occurs in about eighty species of
fishes across at least six orders and twenty families. Bone sites that are
affected and how they grow appear to be fairly consistent within a species.
For more info and pictures to compare your specimen to, see:
McGrouther, M.A. 1994. Swollen Fish Bones. Australian Natural History.
24(11):79.
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., L.S. Kaufman & J. Glowacki. 1995. Species-specific patterns
of hyperostosis in marine teleost fishes. Marine Biology 121:573-580.
Chabanaud, P. (1926). “Frequénce, symmétrie et constance spécifique
d'hyperostose externes chez divers poissons de la famille des Sciaenidés.”
Compte rendu hebdomaire des séances de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris 182:
1647-1649.
Desse, G. and J. Desse (1981). “Diagnostic des pieces rachidiennes de
poissons: applications au materiel issu de sites archaeologiques.” CRA/CNRS
Notes Internes 28: 7.
Günther, A. (1860). Catalogue of the Acanthopterygian Fishes in the Collection
of the British Museum. London, British Museum.
James, P. S. B. R. (1960). “Instances of excessive thickening of certain bones
in the ribbon fish Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus.” Marine Biological
Association of India 1960(2): 253-258.
Johnson, C. R. (1973). “Hyperostosis in fishes of the genus Platycephalus
(Platycephalidae).” Japanese Journal of Icthyology 20: 178.
Korschelt, E. (1940) “Uber Besonderheiten im Aufbau des
Knochenfischskeletts.” Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche Zoologie 152: 507-
546.
Meunier, F.J. and Desse, G. (1986) “Les hyperostoses chez les Teleosteens:
description, histologie et problemes etiologiques.” Icthyophysiologica Acta
10: 130-141.
Meunier, F. J. and J. Desse (1994). “Histological structure of hyperostotic
cranial remains of Pomadasys hasta (Osteichthyes, Perciformes, Haemulidae)
from archaeological sites of the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.” Fish
Exploitation in the Past. W. Van Neer. Tervuren, Annales du Musée Royal de
l'Afrique Centrale, Sciences Zoologiques. 274: 47-53.
Olsen, S. J. (1969). “Hyperostotic fish bones from archaeological sites.”
Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of New Jersey 24: 1-3.
Olsen, S. J. (1971). “Swollen bones in the Atlantic Cutlassfish - Trichiurus
lepturus (Linnaeus).” Copeia 1: 174-175.
Schlumberger, H. and Lucké, B (1948). Tumors of fishes, amphibians and
reptiles.” Cancer Research 8: 657-754.
Smith-Vaniz, W., L.S. Kaufman and J. Glowacki. 1995. “The natural history of
fish hyperostosis: cellular bone within an acellular skeleton.” Marine Biology
121:573-580.
Takahashi, K. (1929) “Studie uber die Fischgeschwulste.” Zeitschrift fur
Krebsforschung 29: 1-73.
Von den Driesch, A. (1994a). “Viehaltung, Jagd und Fischfang in der
bronzeitlichen Siedlung von Shimal bei Ras al-Khaimah/U.A.E.” Beiträge zur
Altorientlischen Archäologie und Altertumskunde. Festschrift für Barthel
Hrouda zum 65. Geburstag. P. Calmeyer, K. Hecker, L. Jacob-Post and C. B. F.
Walker. Wiesbaden: 73-85.
Von den Driesch, A. (1994b). “Hyperostosis in fish.” Fish Exploitation in the
Past. W. Van Neer. Tervuren, Annales du Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale,
Sciences Zoologiques. 274: 37-45.
> Hello Everyone,
>
> The Booth had a mystery object brought in by a member of the public on
> Monday; we a are bit stumped! Can anyone help us please? The woman who
> brought it in said that she found it in a collection of shells…
>
> Thank you all in advance!
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Grace
>
> Grace Brindle
> Collections Assistant
> (Monday-Thursday)
> [00 44] (0)1273 292784
> [00 44] (0)1273 291386
> Royal Pavilion & Museums
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