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Standardised Protocols for Taxonomic Measurements for Pleuronectiform Fishes

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Relation http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/15719/
 
Title Standardised Protocols for Taxonomic Measurements for Pleuronectiform Fishes
 
Creator Nair, Rekha J
Gopalakrishnan, A
 
Subject Demersal Fishes
Flat fishes
Fish Taxonomy
 
Description Study of fish morphometrics has been the primary source of information for taxonomic and
evolutionary studies. Despite the value and availability of genetic, physiological, behavioural,
and ecological data for such studies, systematic ichthyologists continue to depend heavily on
morphology for taxonomic characters. Morphometric data is important in that it can be used as
taxonomic characters to examine evolutionary relationships among species; they have the
advantage that size effects can be removed before the data are recoded so that inferred
evolutionary relationships are based on body-form rather than body-size differences.
Identification of stocks of fish has been the mainstay of morphologists. Large data sets have
been collected for a diverse array of commercially important fish (Winans,1985). For over 30
years, most morphometric investigations have based the selection of characters on the set of
measurements described by Hubbs and Lagler (1947). Most species of fishes have characteristic
shapes, sizes, pigmentation patterns, fin disposition and other external features that aid in
recognition, identification, and classification that can be examined by dissection or other means
of internal examination. Structural measurements sometimes are used directly as characters if
they are sufficiently discrete among taxa or if a tree-building procedure is used that allows the
use of continuous characters (Farris 1970; Farris et al. 1970). Standard references for taxonomic
study of bony fishes are Hubbs and Lagler (1958), Miller and Lea (1972), Lagler et al., 1977,
Bond (1979), Moyle and Cech (1981), and Trautman (1981). The general parameters taken into
account are those on the left side for bony fishes unless otherwise mentioned or right side when
that side is damaged. In the case of elasmobranchs, a glance through any well-illustrated guide
to chondrichthyans (e.g. Compagno 1984; Last and Stevens 1994; Compagno et al., 2005)
reveals a huge diversity of body morphology. In odd shaped teleost fishes like box fishes also
the basic measurement pattern was based on Hubbs and Lagler (1958) with slight modifications.
Compared to the other teleosts, measurements are necessary on both sides for the flatfishes due
to the flattened nature of the body like in the ray fishes.
 
Publisher ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
 
Date 2022
 
Type Book Section
PeerReviewed
 
Format text
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/15719/1/Winter%20School%20on%20Recent%20Development%20in%20Taxonomic%20Techniques%20of%20Marine%20Fishes%20for%20Conservation%20and%20Sustainable%20Fisheries%20Management_2022_Gopalakrishnan%20A.pdf
Nair, Rekha J and Gopalakrishnan, A (2022) Standardised Protocols for Taxonomic Measurements for Pleuronectiform Fishes. In: ICAR-CMFRI -Winter School on Recent Development in Taxonomic Techniques of Marine Fishes for Conservation and Sustainable Fisheries Management. ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, pp. 253-261.