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ZJUS-B
Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology)  2010, Vol. 11 Issue (11): 871-879    DOI: 10.1631/jzus.B1000054
Biotechnology     
Morphometric and meristic variation in two congeneric archer fishes Toxotes chatareus (Hamilton 1822) and Toxotes jaculatrix (Pallas 1767) inhabiting Malaysian coastal waters
K. D. Simon, Y. Bakar, S. E. Temple, A. G. Mazlan
Marine Science Programme, School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E., Malaysia, Biology Programme, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E., Malaysia, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia, Marine Ecosystem Research Centre, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor D.E., Malaysia
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Abstract  A simple yet useful criterion based on external markings and/or number of dorsal spines is currently used to differentiate two congeneric archer fish species Toxotes chatareus and Toxotes jaculatrix. Here we investigate other morphometric and meristic characters that can also be used to differentiate these two species. Principal component and/or discriminant functions revealed that meristic characters were highly correlated with pectoral fin ray count, number of lateral line scales, as well as number of anal fin rays. The results indicate that T. chatareus can be distinguished from T. jaculatrix by having a greater number of lateral line scales, a lower number of pectoral fin rays, and a higher number of anal fin rays. In contrast, morphometric discriminant analyses gave relatively low distinction: 76.1% of fish were ascribed to the correct species cluster. The observed morphometric differences came from the dorsal and anal spines lengths, with T. chatareus having shorter dorsal and longer anal spines than T. jaculatrix. Overall, meristic traits were more useful than morphometrics in differentiating the two species; nevertheless, meristics and morphometrics together provide information about the morphological differentiation between these two closely related archer fishes.

Key words： Archer fish      Toxotes chatareus      Toxotes jaculatrix      Species identification      Multivariate analysis     
Received: 18 February 2010      Published: 04 November 2010
CLC:  Q954  
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S. E. Temple
A. G. Mazlan
K. D. Simon
Y. Bakar
Cite this article:

K. D. Simon, Y. Bakar, S. E. Temple, A. G. Mazlan. Morphometric and meristic variation in two congeneric archer fishes Toxotes chatareus (Hamilton 1822) and Toxotes jaculatrix (Pallas 1767) inhabiting Malaysian coastal waters. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology), 2010, 11(11): 871-879.

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http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-b/10.1631/jzus.B1000054     OR     http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-b/Y2010/V11/I11/871

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