Abstract
Fish scale shape was used to identify geographic variants among Lutjanidae ( Lutjanus argentiventris, L. guttatus and L. peru ). Specimens were collected from three different geographic areas, north to south of the tropical Pacific coast of Mexico: Puerto Vallarta (PV), Manzanillo (MA) and Caleta de Campos (CC). Configuration of landmark coordinates of fish scales were scaled, translated and rotated using generalized procrustes analysis, followed by principal components analysis of resulting shape coordinates. Principal component scores were submitted to cross-validated discriminant analysis to determine the efficacy of scale landmarks for discrimination by geographic variants. This was done with shape and form (shape plus size). PV and MA were recognized as one population different from the CC sampling area. Using only shape (without size), identification rates predicted geographic variant membership much better than chance (91.3%, 70.6% and 85.4% for L. argentiventris, L. guttatus and L. peru , respectively), and taking size into account, classification is somewhat improved (90.6%, 80.1% and 87.5% for L. argentiventris, L. guttatus and L. peru , respectively). Consistency of the two populations for the three species shows non-fortuitous events. Population discrimination confirmed previous genetic studies that show a zoogeographic barrier between the North Equatorial Current and the California Current. The method is non-destructive, fast and less expensive than genetic analysis, thus allowing screening of many individuals for traceability of fish.
Highlights
Population identification is important in fisheries management, in which individual specimens have to be correctly identified to population in order to investigate biological traits such as growth, mortality, fecundity, trophic relationships, parasite relationships, and historical and paleontological events (Sparre and Venema 1995)
Fisheries management normally aims to reach maximum or sustainable production from fish stocks frequently defined on the basis of the same vital rate parameters that are used for productivity calculations (Begg and Waldman 1999), ignoring such information can lead to ineffective fisheries management
Accurate assessments of the status of fish populations require efficient and cost effective monitoring methods. This is important for populations in developing countries. In this sense the aim of this study was to evaluate whether landmark based, geometric morphometric approach to describe fish scale morphology is useful in discriminating among geographic variants
Summary
Population identification is important in fisheries management, in which individual specimens have to be correctly identified to population in order to investigate biological traits such as growth, mortality, fecundity, trophic relationships, parasite relationships, and historical and paleontological events (Sparre and Venema 1995). According to Begg and Waldman (1999), the stock concept describes the characteristics of the units assumed to be homogeneous for particular management purposes. Connectivity is the quantity of biological material (larvae, recruits, juveniles or adults) exchanged between populations of a particular species along its distribution range (Palumbi 2003). Since it can include exchange of offspring between populations through larval dispersal, recruitment of juveniles and survival of these juveniles to reproductive age, and any large-scale movement of juveniles and adults between locations, connectivity can influence population demographics and dynamics
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