Are the scales of a fish their 'skin' or do they have a skin under their scales?

Question

I got my girlfriend a beautiful fishscale flower pin, but she wont use it because "they had to kill fish to get the scales". This became a long arguement that is still unfinished and one point I want to make is that it's like plucking a feather from a bird or plucking hair from something/somebody(although that is still painful, you don't need to kill to do it). Now wether or not they did that to get the scales isn't the point, it doesn't matter. What I need to know, though, is if the scales are similar to the feathers of a bird. So are the scales the 'skin' or do they have more flesh. If you have anything else I can say to help prove my point, that would also help.
P.S. She's wants to be a vegetarian, so ya, she's really against animal violence and all. Like I told her how humans are meant to eat meat as well as plants, so we are meant to kill, which in other words would say its ok to get the scales. Afterall you could take the scales and then just eat the fish. Thanks for all help

Answer 1

Fish have skin and the scales are like feathers on birds. Chances are they used scales from fish that were being killed anyway and the scales are just available, but if she doesn't like the idea of using animal parts for garments or things, you have to respect that. By the way, that get's you off the hook for buying leather products, purses, shoes, belts, etc. Of course you can always buy the plastic variety, but they usually are a lot less expensive, so don't complain.

Answer 2

Fish scales are seperate from their skin, much like feathers. Actually, feathers and (bony) fish scales are the same structure if viewed from an evolutionary point of view.

Snake (or other reptile) scales are actually folds of skin and do not come off in the way that fish scales do.

Answer 3

There is skin under the scales and the scales are attached to the skin just as hair or feathers are attached to the skin. Your girlfriend is right about the scales, however, they had to kill the fish. In theory it would be possible to remove scales from the fish and reassemble them to the right pattern but practically killing the fish is the way to go.

Answer 4

There is indeed skin underneath. And I don't think taking off scales kill them. I think they shed their scales naturally.

Fish meals in china usually still have skin on them. They take (scrape with a knife) off the scales and cook them with the skin on.

Show your girlfriend that humans have incisors and canine teeth. These teeth are for eating meat. Still, she can be a vegetarian if she wants.

Answer 5

Fish scales in most fish emerge from the skin.

"The skin of most bony fish is covered with bony scales that look like shingles on a roof. Bony fish scales are waterproof and help protect the fish. Glands in the skin in which the scales are embedded secrete a layer of mucus that covers the entire body. Mucus helps protect fish from infection."
http://www.seaworld.org/aquademics/tetra/all_about_fish.htm

Scales
http://www.odu.edu/sci/cqfe/world%20of%20fishes/scales/scales.htm

" These scales are firmly attached to the skin and are primarily made of hard calcium. The scales offer unsurpassed protection against injury and infection. "
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16.&cat=1992&articleid=583

Answer 6

You know, this is not about facts. The facts don't matter. Your best bet now is probably to just apologize for being an insensitive jerk (let her convince you that you're not really!), and in future remember that arguing with a woman is a no-win proposition - even when you win, you lose.

Answer 7

It has skin under, ever had fish for lunch? even without scales, there is a grayish skin covering the fish.