Scale Characteristics of Four Goatfishes (Family Mullidae) from Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria, Egypt

Scale Characteristics of Four Goatfishes (Family Mullidae) from Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria, Egypt

The scale characteristics study has aimed to deal with the taxonomic and biological aspects of four mullid species (Family Mullidae), Mullus sermuletus, Mullus barbatus, Upeneus moluccensis and Upeneus pori from the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria, Egypt. The characteristics of scales of the four mullid species considered were studied in the term of morphometry and scanning electron microscopic techniques. A great variety of size free intra- and interspecific scale surface morphological variations was revealed. The present work on scale characteristics of the four mullid species studied the overall form of the scales and their morphometrics, radii number, shape of interradial tongues and first circuli, form of interradial circuli and their denticles, the outer rostolateral and inner rostolateral circuli and the form of their denticles, granulation of the caudal field and the shape of ctenii. Among the scale characteristics used to discriminate between the four mullid species studied are the unique form and branching patterns of the lateral line canal. These findings were discussed in terms of their functional morphology in comparison with respect to other teleost fishes.