Morphometric and meristic variations between non-reproductive and reproductive kutum females (Rutilus frisii kutum, Kamensky, 1901), in the southwest Caspian Sea

摘要

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 ofthe 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.