Hyperostosis - Swollen Bones

The enlargement of particular areas of fish bones is known as hyperostosis.

Leatherjacket vertebra with hyperostosis

Photographer: Carl Bento © Australian Museum

Translated it means 'above normal bone growth'. The word is derived from the Greek hyper - above, osteo - bone, and osis - suffix denoting a condition.

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. The hump on the head of an adult Snapper develops as a result of hyperostosis.

The cause of hyperostosis is unknown. 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.

Hyperostosis doesn't appear to have any effect on the edibility of a fish.

Further reading:

  1. Jawad, L.A. 2013. Hyperostosis in three fish species collected from the Sea of Oman. Letters to the Editor. The Anatomical Record. Pp 3.
  2. McGrouther, M.A. 1994. Swollen Fish Bones. Australian Natural History. 24(11):79.
  3. Smith-Vaniz, W.F., L.S. Kaufman & J. Glowacki. 1995. Species-specific patterns of hyperostosis in marine teleost fishes. Marine Biology 121:573-580.

Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
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Tags fishes, ichthyology, Hyperostosis, Swollen Bones, Snapper, Leatherjacket,