Retraction Note: Advancements in morphometric differentiation: a review on stock identification among fish populations

Abstract

Identifying intraspecific units or stocks of a species with unique morphological characteristics has now become more powerful and enables a better management of these subunits of species and ensures better management and conservation of the fishery resources. These morphometric characteristics typically show ontogenic changes in body shape particularly rapid at key life history stages. For about the past 50 years, traditional multivariate morphometrics, accounting for variation in size and shape, have successfully discriminated many fish stocks throughout the world, however, they have always been criticized because of several biases and weaknesses. To contribute to the advancement of fish stock identification, a new technology based on “Truss Network System” has emerged as a new tool with more effective strategies for descriptions of shape, better data collection and diversified analytical tools. In the present communication, recent developments made in the discipline of morphometric differentiation in body shape among fish populations are briefly reviewed and it appears that the truss based techniques has now been proved to be more effective than manual distance measurement for the management of fishery resources throughout the world. However in India, these techniques have not been commonly applied in fisheries research to discriminate fish stocks. The study expands the potential through various advancements in morphometric differentiation analysis which could serve as a tool for stock identification among fish populations.