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Morphometric comparisons of the G ulf sturgeon ( A cipenser oxyrinchus desotoi M itchill, 1815) in western and eastern population extremes
Author(s) -
Mickle P. F.,
Peterson M. S.,
Havrylkoff J.M.,
Grammer P. O.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of applied ichthyology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.392
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1439-0426
pISSN - 0175-8659
DOI - 10.1111/jai.12559
Subject(s) - threatened species , acipenser , biology , fishery , endangered species , fish migration , sturgeon , morphometrics , population , juvenile , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , habitat , demography , sociology
Summary The Gulf sturgeon, A cipenser oxyrinchus desotoi Mitchill 1815, is an anadromous fish native to the Gulf of Mexico ( GOM ). This threatened species ascend northern GOM rivers ranging from the Pearl River, Louisiana to the Suwannee River, Florida. The drainage fidelity seen within this species coupled with the complex migration patterns create many unknowns concerning the functionality between drainages and size classes. Being a threatened species that cannot be sacrificed, morphometric measurements are difficult to acquire due to minimized handling times and non‐lethal data collection methods. Seven morphometric measurements of Gulf sturgeon were compared between western and eastern GOM rivers and multiple size classes (juvenile, sub‐adult, and adult). Principal Component, Discriminant Function, and Maximum Chance Criterion analyses were conducted and identified differentiating morphometrics and classified groupings among size classes and rivers of Gulf sturgeon. This morphometric approach has the potential to be used in parallel with molecular findings and should allow managers to identify sub‐populations for a variety of threatened and endangered species.