Placoid Scale

a scale characteristic of cartilaginous fishes. It consists of a flat base (the basal plate), a neck, and a crown. Inside each scale there are several pulp canals or a cavity filled with pulp. A placoid scale is formed of dentin; its tip is covered with a harder, enamel-like vitrodentin. The scale originates between ectoderm and mesoderm, and, as it develops, it breaks through the ectoderm and emerges as a spine. Its formation is complete when the basal plate forms in the mesoderm. The placoid scale is constantly replaced during the life of a fish. In the evolution of vertebrates, the placoid scale precedes the more complexly structured ganoid scale. The teeth of vertebrates are derivatives of placoid scales.