Morphometrics Analysis of Sagitta Otolith in Pool Barb, Puntius sophore (Hamilton, 1822)

Abstract

Introduction The use of otolith morphometrics could prove to be a powerful tool in fish identification. The aim of the present study was to analyze the shape of the otolith in pool barb, Puntius sophore. Materials and Methods To accomplish the present study, samples of various sizes were collected from the Yamunanagar and from the Faridabad fish markets in Haryana, India. The sagitta otoliths were extracted by making a horizontal cut across the head of the fish. Results The independent t-test revealed no statistically significant difference between the values of otolith length and width of both the right and left otoliths (p > 0.05). Furthermore, various shape indexes, such as form factor (FF); circularity (C); rectangularity (REC), and aspect ratio (AR) were calculated, and the general shape of the otoliths of P. sophore was described as rectangular and less elongated. The otolith length (OL) was found to be positively correlated with the AR, whereas the FF was found to be negatively correlated with REC and C. The present study expresses the relationship between the total length (TL) and the head length (HL) of the fish with the OL and the otolith width (OW) by a linear regression model. The results depicted that the OL and the OW were linearly correlated to the TL and to the HL of the fish. Conclusion The present study also provides a better understanding in identification of fish stock.