Hyperostotic bones observed in the first record specimen of spotted sicklefish, Drepane punctata (Linnaeus, 1788), from the Gulf of Oman.

This is the first confirmed record of a 430 mm TL spotted sicklefish, Drepane punctata (Linnaeus, 1758), in the Gulf of Oman collected in August 2021. Here, we describe a hyperostotic deformity in the head, maxilla and premaxilla, dorsal fin, caudal fin rays, and neural and haemal spines of some vertebrae. In the head, the occipital and supraoccipital crests were swollen. Also, we compare morphometric and meristic data with other specimens from other geographic regions. Novel hyperostosis characteristics found for D. punctata are compared to previously documented instances.

Features of the vertebral column and caudal fin skeleton for identifying Engraulis australis in food of the Australasian gannet Morus serrator, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand.

Identifying fish species from their bone remains is employed in identifying the prey of aquatic animals. However, diagnostic skeletal descriptions are scarce for fish species prey found in the food of piscivorous birds and other marine predators in New Zealand. The present article addresses this knowledge gap, providing a diagnostic description for the vertebral column and the skeleton of the caudal fin of the Australian anchovy Engraulis australis inhabiting coastal waters in and around the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. The vertebral column of E. australis is divided into four morphologically distinct regions more complicated than the classical division in abdominal and caudal parts only and the drawing of characteristic-looking vertebral profiles. Each of these four regions is associated with characteristic vertebral profiles. These morphological descriptive parameters express a morphotype that may be linked with the swimming mode of the Australian anchovy. The skeleton of the caudal fin of E. australis showed distinctive characteristics that will be useful as diagnostic criteria to identify specimens of the Australian anchovy and separate them from the skeletal elements of other fish species found in the food of gannets and other marine predators in future studies.

Scanning electron microscopy and morphological analysis reveal differences in the otolith morphology of three species of the family Lethrinidae (Teleostei: Perciformes) from Yemen.

Otoliths, or ear-stones, are calcareous components in the static-acoustic organs of teleost fishes with a characteristic morphology. As such, they are widely used in fisheries because of the information stored in them concerning, for example, environment, age, and so forth. Otoliths of three lethrinid species Lethrinus borbonicus (Valenciennes, 1830), L. lentjan (Lacepède, 1802), and L. mahsena (Forsskål, 1775) were collected from fish caught along the Red Sea coast of Yemen. Images taken with a scanning electron microscope were used to determine their characteristics. Twenty-two characters were defined to describe the shapes of the otoliths. Eleven measurements of distance between selected features were used for a linear regression and multivariate analysis to characterize the species by their otoliths. The results illustrate ontogenetic changes for different age groups based on the recorded shapes. All three species show a linear relationship between the total length and the morphometric measurements. A linear discriminant analysis shows marked differences between the otoliths of the three species and emphasizes the importance of the measured variables. Otoliths of L. lentjan and L. borbinicus are more similar to each other and differ from those of L. mahsena. A comparison with previously published otoliths of the species studied from other areas confirms an intraspecific uniformity across larger geographic distances, making the characters useful for diagnostic purposes.

Morphology and morphometry of pharyngeal bone and teeth in cyprinid species from the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

The morphology of pharyngeal bones and teeth was determined on seven cyprinid species caught from the Greater Zab River, a tributary of Tigris River, located in the northern part of Iraq in the Kurdistan Region. Eleven morphological characters of the pharyngeal bone and teeth were identified, measured and compared from photographs of the 152 individual species collected. The relationship between pharyngeal bone total length and four-dimensional measurements of the pharyngeal bone were determined using linear regression and multivariate analysis. Results show bone characteristics of the studied species are distinctly different in terms of shape, tooth number, tooth formulae and dimensions of the pharyngeal bones. Regression analysis shows positive coefficients of TL with all parameters PL, DL, PW and DP while multivariate linear discriminate analysis shows distinct groupings of each species using non-dimensional measurements of the bone characters. The measurements gathered and application of biometric relationships to ease the identification of the cyprinid species contributes to the morphological information on cyprinid species in a data deficient region of the world. This work provides a new set of morphological characters of the pharyngeal bone and teeth of the seven cyprinid species from Northern Mesopotamia that may enable their separation from the members of their cyprinid genera.

Hierarchical structure and mechanical properties of fish scales from Lutjanidae with different habitat depths.

In recent days, many researchers are focusing on emerging a new class of bio-inspired architectured materials. The primary strategy of these architecture designs is directly dependent on the types of available literature based on higher-ordered species such as nacre and fish scales. In this study, the authors have investigated the microstructural features and mechanical properties of five different ray-finned fish scales from Lutjanidae family collected in Iran. It was found that habitat depth and habits may result in significant changes in scale's surface morphology and mechanical properties. Interestingly, the variations in cross-sectional microstructural features such as fibre orientation and layer thickness ratios in scales did not show noticeable differences. It has also been proved that the mechanical performance of fish scales is influenced by the shape, array pattern and compactness of strips on posterior edges in a scale. Moreover, the radii count at anterior positions is higher in fishes living in wide-ranging depth; it supports in achieving higher scale stiffness and flexibility during movement. Consideration of these factors may help in optimising the performance of newly designed architectured materials subjected to mechanical loadings.

Otolith mass asymmetry in three sparid fish species collected from the Iraqi waters.

Saccular otolith mass asymmetry is examined in three sparid fish species, Acanthopagrus bifasciatus, A. arabicus, and Sparidentex hasta collected from Khor Abdullah at the North Persian Gulf. This characteristic was computed as the disparity between the weight of the right and left otoliths divided by mean otolith weight in the three sparid species investigated. According to the previous cases obtained on another symmetrical fish species, the absolute value of x in these species does not determine by fish length and otolith growth ratio, while the absolute rate of otolith weight disparity is boosted with the fish length. The estimate of x was between -0.2 and +0.2. Otolith mass asymmetry can show some growth disorder of fish owing to environmental influence.

Ingestion of microplastics and mesoplastics by Trachurus declivis (Jenyns, 1841) retrieved from the food of the Australasian gannet Morus serrator: First documented report from New Zealand.

During the process of studying some morphological characters of fish found in the food of the Australasian gannet Morus serrator breeding at Horuhoru Rock and Mahuki islands in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, one carangid specimen of fish species Trachurus declivis out of the 25 fish specimens examined revealed seven small plastic particles in its stomach of different colours: black, red, blue, green, and transparent. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to identify the compositions of the particles as low and high density polyethylene, poly (methyl methacrylate), polypropylene, and a copolymer of butadiene, acrylonitrile, and methacrylamide. The plastic particles comprised several different shapes and sizes, ranging between 4.5 and 10 mm, and are therefore categorized as micro-and mesoplastic fragments.

Fluctuating asymmetry in the size of the otolith of Engraulis australis (Shaw, 1790) recovered from the food of the Australasian gannet, Morus serrator, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand.

The fluctuating asymmetry values of the two otolith parameters: length and width of Engraulis australis, recovered from the food of gannet, which inhabit colonies in islands at Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand was calculated in this study. The dissimilarity value of the otolith width was higher than that of the otolith length. An inclination of upsurge in the dissimilarity values with the fish length was noted for the otolith sizes studied. The dissimilarity value in the two otolith sizes was the lowest for fish having total length of 115-154 mm, and the highest for fish with length of 151-160 mm. The conceivable reason of the dissimilarity obtained could be related to diverse contaminants and their presence in the study location.

Stock differentiation of the greater lizardfish Saurida tumbil (Teleostei: Synodontidae) collected along the western coast of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman using meristic characters.

Meristic variation among stocks of greater lizardfish Saurida tumbil through the western coasts of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman was examined using meristic characters. Statistical analysis of meristic traits proposed that there is constrained migration of populations of greater lizardfish along the western coast of the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman. Overlapping of the two samples from the northern part of the Arabian Gulf (Iraq-Kuwait waters), three samples from the middle region of the Arabian Gulf (Bahrain-Qatar-Saudi Arabia) and two samples from the southern part of the Arabian Gulf/Sea of Oman (United Arab Emirates-Sultanate of Oman) suggested that there are three self-recruiting populations in the studied area. Inspection of the role of each meristic trait variable to Canonical discriminant analysis showed that changes among samples appeared to be linked with the pattern of distribution of water temperature and configuration of current in both the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman areas.

Bilateral asymmetry in size of otolith of Otolithes ruber (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) collected from the marine waters of Iraq.

The otolith length and width of adult teleost Otolithes ruber (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) were used to calculate the fluctuating asymmetry in these two characters. The results displayed that the amount of asymmetry of the otolith width was the highest between the two asymmetry values attained for the otolith of O. ruber. Further, the lowest level of asymmetry in the two otolith characters is at the fish length ranging between 150 and 180 mm and the highest at the fish length ranging between 461 and 2490 mm. The conceivable reason for the asymmetry in this species has been deliberated relative to different pollutants and their presence in the area. A tendency of increase in the asymmetry levels with the fish length was observed for the otolith length and width.

Morphological asymmetry in the greater lizardfish Saurida tumbil (Bloch, 1795) collected from the marine waters of Iraq.

Asymmetrical variations in six bilateral morphological characters of 75 specimens of Saurida tumbil obtained from the marine waters of Iraq were assessed. The level of asymmetry in the snout length was highest among the morphological traits examined. Variations in asymmetry in S. tumbil increased with size. These variations are possibly due to chemical contaminants.

Asymmetry in the otolith length and width of three sparid fish species collected from Iraqi waters.

Bilateral asymmetry is presumed to reveal the developmental variability of the fish in polluted aquatic environments. In these habitats, high-level asymmetry develops, and these fish expend more energy to balance their growth than fish that are not under an impact. A total of 210 specimens of Acanthopagrus bifasciatus, A. latus and Sparidentex hasta were collected from the marine waters of Iraq in the northwest part of the Arabian Gulf. The asymmetry was calculated for the sagittal otolith characters of length and width. Otolith width has lower asymmetry than otolith length for the three sparid fish species investigated. An increase in the value of fluctuating asymmetry with fish length was observed. This could be a pertinent indicator of pollution in the habitat.

Observations of stranded and swimming whale sharks Rhincodon typus in Khor Al-Zubair, NW Arabian Gulf and Shatt Al-Arab Estuary, Iraq.

This study is the first record of a whale shark Rhincodon typus in Iraqi waters and the second record from the Arabian (Persian) Gulf portion of the north-west Indian Ocean. The stranding and sighting events were documented by photos of three individuals: the stranded specimen was 6.5 m total length (LT ) and the free-swimming individuals were c. 1-2 and 2-3 m LT respectively. An appeal is made for Iraqi policy makers to participate in regional and international organizations for the conservation of this endangered species.

Vertebral column deformity in adult wild haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus).

This study describes radiological malformations in the vertebral column of adult sexually mature wild haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus collected from Masfjorden, Western Norway, in 2014 and 2015. There were seven deformed fish (33% of sampled fish), five with mild deformities and two with severe deformities. The deformity types discovered were lordosis, vertebra body asymmetry, compression, fusion (ankylosis), remodelling, and haemal spine hyperostosis. The two severely deformed fish were as follows: (a) one specimen with 29 deformed vertebrae within the region vertebrae nos. 1-30, including two sites of lordosis; (b) one specimen with 15 deformed vertebrae within the region vertebrae nos. 31-52 (most caudal vertebrae). The results of this study show that wild haddock can survive severe vertebra deformities, both in the trunk and tail region, and reach adulthood and sexual maturity. Whether normal nondeformed wild conspecifics would mate and spawn with these individuals and thereby complete the life cycle of the deformed individuals is, however, unknown. A possible link between bone fracture and fish hyperostosis is discussed.

A comparative morphological investigation of otoliths of six parrotfish species (Scaridae) from the Solomon Islands.

A comparative morphological investigation of otoliths from six parrotfish species and two genera, Scarus and Hipposcarus, was conducted to identify taxonomically diagnostic species-specific characters. Ontogenetic trends in otolith morphology were evident: Otoliths of small-sized specimens were most like those of large-sized Scarus oviceps and were least similar to large-sized Hipposcarus longiceps.

The First Record of Incidences of Ankylosis in Seven Triplefin Fishes (Pisces: Tripterygiidae) from New Zealand.

Different cases of vertebral ankylosis were examined in seven tripterygiid species obtained from waters around New Zealand. The skeletal deformities observed are located in the caudal region of the vertebral column. Those occurred in Forsterygion nigripenne, Matanui bathytaton and in one specimen of Ruanoho whero were severe cases. The mechanism of the formation of vertebral ankylosis and the causes behind such anomaly were discussed. Further studies are needed to relate specific pollutants with the observed types of deformities. Anat Rec, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 301:39-45, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Redescription of the percoid fish Symphysanodon andersoni Kotthaus (Symphysanodontidae) from the northwestern Indian Ocean, based on the holotype and the second known specimen.

Symphysanodon andersoni was described in 1974 from a single specimen collected southwest of Socotra Island, near the entrance to the Gulf of Aden. A more recent report (2003) of its capture in the Gulf of Kutch, Arabian Sea, was based on a misidentification. The second known specimen of the Bucktoothed Slopefish, S. andersoni, (at 204 mm SL the largest known specimen of the genus Symphysanodon) was collected off the south coast of Oman, Arabian Sea, in April 2014. Symphysanodon andersoni is distinguishable from its congeners by number of tubed scales in the lateral line, 60 to 65 versus 42 to 59 in the other species of the genus. In view of the fact that S. andersoni is poorly known, we redescribe it based on the holotype and the new specimen collected off Oman and provide the first color photograph of the species.

Hyperostosis in three fish species collected from the Sea of Oman.

Hyperostotic conditions are described in three teleost fishes. Pomadasys stridens, (Haemulidae; 326 mm TL, 314 mm SL), Drepane longimana (Drepanidae; 450 mm, TL, 440 mm SL), and Platax teira (Ephippidae) captured off the coast of Muscat City. There are regions of hyperostosis in four bones in P. stridens, three in D. longimana and seven in P. teira. Size, shape, position, and species-specific characteristics showed wide variation in these three species.