Abstract
Meristic features are countable structures of fishes such as fin spines and rays, gill rakers, lateral line scales, and branchiostegal rays. Meristic counts are partially determined by environmental conditions during egg and larval development, so variations in meristic counts can indicate some degree of geographic separation between populations during early life stages, which is informative for stock identification. Meristics are relatively easy to sample and analyze, making them a common starting point for stock discrimination studies. An overview of meristic analysis is presented in this chapter, and examples of the utility of meristics in stock identification are provided through a review of several case studies.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
