Application of Molecular Methods in Aquaculture and Fishery

Abstract

Identification of fish species is traditionally based on external morphological characters as body shape, colour, scale size, position and size of fins as well as relative size of different body parts (Strauss & Bond 1990). In species that are morphologically more similar number of gill rakers can be used as a significant systematic character. Furthermore, morphology of otoliths is also used in determination of fish age and size, but is especially useful for identification of the fish species from fossil remains or gut content of a predator (Granadeiro & Silva 2000). However, in some cases the external morphology is not