MORPHOLOGY AND POPULATION STRUCTURE OF ATHERINA BOYERI IN THE SOUTHERN CASPIAN SEA

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Lahijan

2 Tehran

Abstract

The study of morphology and biological charactristics of A. boyeri in the southern Caspian Sea was investigated during 2000-2001. The fish samples were collected by beach seine (mesh size = 6 mm) monthly and then fixed in formalin 5%. The biometric and morphometric results are as follow:
Total length = 73.82 ± 17.73, mean weigth = 3.15± 2.02, number of lateral line scale= 48± 3, number of branched rays of first dorsal fin 8; number of branched rays of second dorsal fin = 12; number of branched rays of anal fin = 13; number of branched rays of ventral fin = 5, number of vertebra = 47 and gill rakers = 34. 
Also, the results of other measurments (in mm) were: head length = 23 , head depth = 14, inter orbital width = 5, post-orbital length = 7, maximum body depth= 14, minimum body depth = 5, peduncle length = 19, first dorsal fin length= 7, pectoral fin length = 14, pelvic fin length = 11, pelvic-anal fin distance= 34, pectoral-pelvic fin distance= 43, post-dorsal distance= 20 and predorsal distance= 43mm. 
The comparance between males and females showed that from point of 2 meristic and one morphometric parameters, they showed significant difference. The study on population structure of Atherina boyeri indicated the range of 1 to 3 years old with average of 1.7 year. The total length and body weight equation was caclulated W=0.00000615 T.L3.02. The sex ratio of this species was estimated as M:F=0.47:0.53.





 

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