Определение мест вылова стерляди (Acipenser ruthenus L. 1758) при судебно-ихтиологической экспертизе

Abstract

The paper describes the details of the investigative actions taken in terms of the struggle against poaching, where the researchers of the Tobolsk Complex Research Station of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences carry out the forensic ichthyologic examination of illegally caught water bioresources. The researchers often encounter the need to investigate or confirm the alleged place of catching fish species submitted for examination. There have been considered the possibilities to determine the habitat of the caught sturgeon species, in particular sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus L. 1758) using direct comparative analysis and statistical processing of meristic characters of the alleged populations, because there is evidence of existing broodstocks of this species, linked to the specific water areas. The analysis was carried out using 357 specimens of sterlet caught in 4 different areas of the Lower Irtysh. Absence of significant differences in the means of meristic characters in the species of the studied groups can be explained by insufficiently representative sampling, which is frequent in forensic ichthyologic examinations. Nevertheless, according to a number of characteristics, one can speak of a certain heterogeneity of the samples, which indicates the presence of features in the distribution of individuals in the population. Additional statistical data processing by means of Kolmogorov–Smirnov non-parametric two-sample criterion demonstrates a reliable interpopulation difference in meristic characters including the case of scanty sampling. Expanding the study in terms of increasing the number of samples and pairs for comparison, as well as feasibility of analyzing the meristic characters in a longer time interval 
 is being considered.