title: Scale-stacking in the live-bearer Belonesox belizanus (Poeciliidae).
abstract: An incidence of scale-stacking was found in a museum collection of Belonesox belizanus (Poeciliidae) from the Río Tesechocán, Veracruz, México. This phenomenon is thought to be unique to lepidophagous East African cichlids, although no studies have addressed the behaviour in any detail. This finding in B. belizanus, the first in Cyprinodontiformes, indicates Belonesox is able to manipulate scales into stacks in the buccal cavity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA, 70402, U.S.A.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Marchio
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Piller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003532:Cyprinodontiformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007568:Jaw / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008800:Mexico; D009055:Mouth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Central America; México; life history; pike killifish; scale-eating; trophic strategy