Open AccessANALYSIS OF LINEAR-WEIGHT INDICATORS AND MERISTIC CHARACTERS OF THE SIBERIAN STERLET ACIPENSER RUTHENUS MARSIGLII (BRANDT, 1833) IN THE IRTISH RIVER BASIN
Author(s) -
Elizaveta L'vovna Liberman
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
vestnik astrahanskogo gosudarstvennogo tehničeskogo universiteta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2687-1076
pISSN - 1812-9498
DOI - 10.24143/1812-9498-2017-2-83-89
Subject(s) - meristics , subspecies , fishery , zoology , biology , geography , ecology
In the basin of the Irtysh River, one of the mass representatives of the Acipenseridae family is the Siberian sterlet Acipenser ruthenus marsiglii (Brandt, 1833). Today, the catch of sterlet in this region is allowed only as control catches for scientific research. Poaching causes a great loss for the species. In the period from 2013-2016 there were held 44 forensic and ichthyologic examinations, including 26 criminal case examinations and 18 expert examinations on the materials of the Register of Complaints concerning Offences. 665 species of Siberian sterlet were caught illegally. In these illegal catches, species with a body length of 31.0 to 40.9 cm were most often found (this made 55.2% of all years of expert examinations), species of 21.0-30.9 cm length made 26.3%, of 41.0 to 50.9 cm length made 16.4%. When analyzing the total mass of fish caught illegally from 2013 to 2016, it was found that species having a mass 100.0-199.9 g were most often found, their share of the total number of fish was 51.6%. Species with a mass 200.0 - 299.9 g made 17.1%; with a mass 0-99.9 g - 15.6%. In this study, the minimum number of lateral beetles in sterlet was 49; maximum - 69; dorsal beetles 11-18; the number of gill rakers corresponded to the specific number and varied from 17 to 29 (mean 14). The meristic features of the species under study correspond to the subspecies Siberian sterlet Acipenser ruthenus marsiglii (Brandt, 1833).