<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Accurate reorganization of harvested species is essential for appropriate fisheries monitoring but often unnoticed. In this study, an attempt was made to provide an accurate species description based on fish taxonomy and otolith shape parameters of nine sea catfishes living in Pakistan. The lapillus, the largest otolith of catfishes, includes the position of the umbo, the structure of the anterior mesial projection (amp), the incisura linea basalis (ilb) and sulcus lapilli marks (slm) in nine ariid catfishes were evaluated. Discriminant function analysis was performed using twenty-two morphometric parameters showed significant variations between the length of the maxillary barbel, adipose length and preorbital length, which were highlighted as basic discriminating characters. Species without barbells, such as <italic>Batrachocephalus mino</italic> and <italic>Osteogeneiosus militaris</italic>, were found to be distant. The taxonomic characters of the genera <italic>Netuma</italic> and <italic>Plicofollis</italic> overlapped due to a short adipose fin length. Nevertheless, species <italic>Arius arius</italic>, <italic>Sciades sona</italic> and <italic>Nemapterxy caelatus</italic> differed in a moderate adipose fin length. The preorbital length of <italic>Netuma bilineata</italic> has a short and rounded snout, while <italic>N. thalassina</italic> has a long and pointed snout, which is a distinguishing characteristic of both species. The coincident use of fish taxonomy and otolith shape parameters is an effective tool for catfish identification could be helpful in appropriate fisheries sampling programs and management in Pakistan whenever implemented.</p>
</abstract>

Accurate reorganization of harvested species is essential for appropriate fisheries monitoring but often unnoticed. In this study, an attempt was made to provide an accurate species description based on fish taxonomy and otolith shape parameters of nine sea catfishes living in Pakistan. The lapillus, the largest otolith of catfishes, includes the position of the umbo, the structure of the anterior mesial projection (amp), the incisura linea basalis (ilb) and sulcus lapilli marks (slm) in nine ariid catfishes were evaluated. Discriminant function analysis was performed using twenty-two morphometric parameters showed significant variations between the length of the maxillary barbel, adipose length and preorbital length, which were highlighted as basic discriminating characters. Species without barbells, such as Batrachocephalus mino and Osteogeneiosus militaris, were found to be distant. The taxonomic characters of the genera Netuma and Plicofollis overlapped due to a short adipose fin length. Nevertheless, species Arius arius, Sciades sona and Nemapterxy caelatus differed in a moderate adipose fin length. The preorbital length of Netuma bilineata has a short and rounded snout, while N. thalassina has a long and pointed snout, which is a distinguishing characteristic of both species. The coincident use of fish taxonomy and otolith shape parameters is an effective tool for catfish identification could be helpful in appropriate fisheries sampling programs and management in Pakistan whenever implemented.

Taxonomic and Otolith Shape Parameters of Nine Sympatric Catfishes Commercially Harvested in Pakistan

Croatian Journal of Fisheries

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Accurate reorganization of harvested species is essential for appropriate fisheries monitoring but often unnoticed. In this study, an attempt was made to...

Taxonomic and Otolith Shape Parameters of Nine Sympatric Catfishes Commercially Harvested in Pakistan

Publicado en línea: 08 mar 2023

Páginas: 23 - 32

Recibido: 02 nov 2022

Aceptado: 20 ene 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cjf-2023-0003

Palabras clave
Fish taxonomy, Lapillus otoliths, Species segregation, Catfishes, Ariidae, Multivariate approach

© 2023 Noureen Farooq et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Taxonomic and Otolith Shape Parameters of Nine Sympatric Catfishes Commercially Harvested in Pakistan

Publicado en línea: 08 mar 2023

Páginas: 23 - 32

Recibido: 02 nov 2022

Aceptado: 20 ene 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cjf-2023-0003

Palabras claveFish taxonomy, Lapillus otoliths, Species segregation, Catfishes, Ariidae, Multivariate approach

© 2023 Noureen Farooq et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Palabras clave
Fish taxonomy, Lapillus otoliths, Species segregation, Catfishes, Ariidae, Multivariate approach