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First documentation of the otoliths of the species of Gouania (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae) in the Mediterranean Sea
Author(s) -
Charmpila Eleni A.,
Wagner Maximilian,
Reichenbacher Bettina
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/jfb.14646
Subject(s) - otolith , teleostei , biology , mediterranean sea , mediterranean climate , fish <actinopterygii> , morphology (biology) , fishery , zoology , ecology
Abstract Otolith morphology is a widely accepted tool for species identification in teleost fish, but whether this holds true for very small species remains to be explored. Here, the saccular otoliths of the cryptobenthic Mediterranean clingfish Gouania (Gobiesocidae) are described for the first time. The new data, although preliminary, indicate that otolith morphology and morphometry support the recognition of the recently differentiated five species of Gouania in the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore, otoliths of phylogenetically closely related Gouania species resemble each other more than do those of the more distantly related species.