The morphology of Sagittal otoliths of Psettodes erumei (Bloch and Schneider, 1801) in the north of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the morphologic and morphometric characteristics of sagittal otolith of Psettodes erumei in the north of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea (Hormozgan Province). For this purpose, 119 specimens were collected from October 2016 to November 2017. After biometry of the specimens, sagittal otolith pairs were extracted and their morphometric parameters (length, width, perimeter, diameter, area, and weight) were measured and recorded. Then, the otolith size index (OSI), the otolith thickness index (OTI), and the otolith longitude index (OLI) were calculated. The calculated values of OSI (0.05), OTI (0.13), and OLI (2-2.6) showed that sagittal otoliths of P. erumei are large, thin, and have a medium longitude. According to the results, the otolith location side had been identified as a factor affecting the otolith morphometric characteristics. Moreover, the results showed a directional asymmetry between otoliths. Regression models between fish total length and otolith morphometric parameters showed a strong correlation between fish length and otolith length, area, and weight (R2>0.75). The results of this study provide fundamental information for stock identification of P. erumei, a commercially valuable flatfish species, in the north of the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea based on the otolith shape and chemistry analysis and through this provide key information for fishery management and sustainable exploitation of P. erumei in the area.

Keywords

• morphology
• otolith
• persian gulf
• psettodes erumei