Effect of Freezing On Some Morphometric Features of Planiliza Abu ( Hekel,1843)

Abstract

The present study attempts to determine the effect of freezing for different periods on preserved bodies of fish in the laboratory to keep for the research and diagnosis of taxonomic studies and not for consumption. It also endeavors to identify the effect of freezing on some morphometric features of the preserved bodies of fishes. Planiliza abu fish were used to conduct the present study. Fish were frozen by regular freezing in the home refrigerator freezer with temperatures reaching four degrees centigrade below zero. Freezing time is distributed over four months; biometric measurements of frozen fish have been taken in these periods represented by body total length, Standard length, and Head length in centimeters using a ruler vernier caliper in addition to body weight in grams by using a scale. Statistical data analysis for this experiment has been conducted to investigate the resulting facts of freezing periods and the effect of differences in freezing periods on these biometric measurements using Duncan's new multiple range test and Levene's test. Results showed no apparent significant differences related to the size in total length and standard length and weight, While measuring head length showed important characteristics of frozen fish, especially in the first and third month of the experiment. Most of the sources that deal with such research patterns are concerned with the freezing of fish intended for food and human consumption, and few of these studies are concerned with research freezing, such as preserving frozen fish specimens for analysis, even for some time. Attention to the importance of freezing for research studies related to fish because of the susceptibility of its meat to rapid deterioration, and therefore, may give wrong diagnostic results if the survey is between species from the same family or a diagnostic and taxonomic study between many species belonging to different families. Keywords: Body measurements, Coastal fish, External appearance, Ice crystals, Preservation.