Journal of Fisheries Science and Technology

Journal of Fisheries Science and Technology

A comparative study of morphometric and meristic traits in different age groups of the dominant flatheads (Family: Platycephalidae) in the coastal waters of the Persian Gulf (Hormozgan Province)

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Mohsen safaie 1
faeze Izadifar 2
Siamak Behzady 3
1 Mangrove Forest Research Center, University of Hormozgan
2 University of Hormozgan
3 Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Ecological Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO)
Abstract
The morphometric and meristic traits of the dominant demersal flathead fish P.indicus, G.suppositus, and G.scaber which were caught as by-catch of shrimp (bottom trawl) and also in coastal stake net (moshta), During the period from April 2022 to October 2023, it was evaluated comparative in different age groups. A total 19 morphometric and six meristic characteristics were recorded. The average total length and weight of the fish in P.indicus (23.2 ± 6.9) cm, (99.9 ± 78.4) gr and in G.suppositus species (20.6 ± 4.7) cm, (67.4±33.7) gr and also in G.scaber (18.5±2.9) cm, (31.0±17.2) gr. In the studied species, among all the measured morphometric traits (except head hight, body hight and Eye part head higth), the rest of the traits in P.indicus species have the highest and lowest (except head length and Anal fin hight ) has been observed in G.scaber. In the investigation of meristic traits, the highest and lowest number of gill rakers in G.suppositus and G.scaber, respectively. The number of rays Pectoral fin was the highest in G.suppositus and the lowest in P.indicus. species.the three studied species in different age groups, showed significant differences in various morphometric and meristic parameters (except for the number of rays of the first dorsal fin) (P<0.05). The three studied species clearly distinguished themselves in the present research. The results of this research showed that the analysis of morphometric and meristic traits is a useful tool for the separation of flatheads species studied in this research.
Keywords
G.scaber
P.indicus
G.suppositus
morphometric
meristic
Hormuzgan Province

Subjects

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