Search

In order to clarify the distribution pattern of Cobitis populations along the southern Caspian Sea basin, 97 specimens collected from five localities were morphologically examined. Univariate analysis of variance showed significant differences (P<0.05) among the means of the five groups for 28 of 33 standardized morphometric measurements and 7 of 10 meristic counts. In the linear discriminant function analysis (DFA) for morphometric characteristics, the overall assignment of individuals into their original groups was high (84.9%), indicating that these populations are highly divergent. The proportion of individuals correctly classified into their original groups were 77.4%, 77.3%, 100%, 100%) and 89.5% for Cobitis sp. (Gisum River), Cobitis keyvani (Sefidroud River), C keyvani (Tonekabon River), Cobitis faridpaki (Siahroud River) and C. keyvani (Talar River), respectively. Clustering based on Euclidean distances among these groups of centroids using UPGMA and principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the southeastern Caspian spined loach populations are C. faridpaki and the south central ones are C. keyvani, and an unknown population, Cobitis sp. is distinguished from the southwestern populations of the basin. Also the Tonekabon and Sefidroud Rivers were determined to be the two new habitats for C. keyvani in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-nine morphometric and seven meristic characteristics were analyzed to identify non-reproductive (NR) and reproductive (R) female kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum. Seventy one samples of mature-size female kutum were collected from coastal waters of the southwest Caspian Sea during spawning season. Principal component analysis, discriminant function analysis, cluster analysis, and a Kruskal-Wallis test were used to identify the two types of fish. The results showed morphological variations between the non-reproductive and reproductive kutum. Discriminant function analysis revealed NR: 91.9% and R: 91.2% while cluster analysis demonstrated NR: 100% and R: 85.3%, verifying the classification of members in each group. Maximum body height, post back distance, dorsal fin height, and up caudal fin length were detected as the most functional characteristics of morphological discrimination between the two types of kutum. Meristic counts, however, were not different between the two types of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]