Biometric analysis of Syngnathus abaster populations

• Published in: Journal of fish biology Vol. 60; no. 6; pp. 1562 - 1569
• Main Authors: CAKIC, P, LENHARDT, M, MICKOVIC, D, SEKULIC, N, BUDAKOV, L. J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell 01.06.2002
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Syngnathus abaster; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Azov Sea; Yugoslavia; Black Sea; Europe; Danube River; MED, Black Sea; MED, Azov Sea; Ukraine, Danube R; Freshwater environment; Brackish water environment; Vertebrata; Meristic character; Pisces; Morphology; Environmental factor; Corporal biometry; Stream; Intraspecific comparison; Geographical variation
• ISSN: 0022-1112; 1095-8649
• DOI: 10.1006/jfbi.2002.2011

Significant differences (ANOVA) in three out of six meristic characters and in 16 out of 18 morphometric characters were found among Syngnathus abaster caught in the River Danube at sites 900 km upwards from the mouth of the Black Sea, the fresh waters of Ukraine, the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. The Danube populations showed significantly greater values for antedorsal (aD) and anteanal (aA) distances, but considerably smaller values for postdorsal (pD) distance and head length (L sub(H)) than other populations analysed (Tukey-Kramer's test). The relation of total length (L sub(T)) to standard length (L sub(S)) for the Danube populations wasL sub(S) =0.97 . L sub(T), the length-mass relationship wasM =4.122 . L 3.63T and the mean plus or minus . of Fulton condition factor was 0.34 plus or minus 0.08. Copyright 2002 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.