Taxonomic differentiation of goatfishes (Family-Mullidae) based on morphological traits and hard parts

Abstract

A comparative evaluation of morphometric characters of goatfishes collected from different parts of India was conducted in order to discriminate them. Among the body ratios the proportion of body depth to standard length was found to be important that varied in the range of 11-39 %, with maximum (34-39 %) in <em>Upeneus guttatus </em> and minimum (11-26 %) in <em>U. moluccensis</em>. Among meristic characters number of dorsal fin spine differed, it was 8 in all the species except in <em>U. guttatus</em> where it was 7. Gill rakers present on lower limb of first arch were highest <em>in U. sulphureus, U. moluccensis, Parupeneus indicus</em> (18-22); lowest number was in <em>U. sundaicus</em> (13-15) followed by <em>U. tragula </em> (14-16). Highest numbers of lateral line scales were recorded in <em>U. taeniopterus</em> (36-38) and lowest in <em>U. guttatus</em> (28-30). Discriminant function analysis for ten morphometric characters gave misclassification of 0% for <em>P. indicus, U. guttatus, U. sulphereus, U. sundaicus,</em> <em>U.tragula, U.vittatus </em> and 3% for <em>U. moluccensis, </em> 6% for <em>U. taeniopterus</em>. Wedge shaped otolith (sagitta) was found in <em>U. guttatus</em> and <em>P. indicus,</em> oval in <em>U. sulphureus</em>, elliptic to truncate anteriorly in <em>U. vittatus</em>, fusiform and serrated margins in <em>U. moluccensis</em>, elliptic to truncate anteriorly for <em>U. sundaicus and U. taeniopterus</em>. Rostrum short, slightly flattened, antirostrum poorly defined in <em>U. tragula</em>. In <em>U. moluccensis</em> parietal crest was poorly developed. In <em>U. tragula </em> and <em>U. moluccensis,</em> pterosphenoid was not in direct contact with lateral ethmoid, and pterosphenoid joined to basisspenoid in <em>U. vittatus </em> and <em> U. guttatus</em>.