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vol-21BIOMETRIC COMPARISON OF CHUB MACKEREL (Scomber
japonicus Houttuyn, 1782) FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN AND
RED SEA, EGYPT
By
S. N. FALTAS* AND S. I. RIZKALLA
*National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt.
Key words: Biometrics – Scomber japonicus.
ABSTRACT
Morphological differentiations between chub mackerel (Scomber
japonicus) populations from the Egyptian Mediterranean and Red Sea
waters were investigated. Mediterranean mackerel forms a distinct
population as compared with that of the Red Sea one. The latter
population is found to have comparatively larger morphometric
dimensions specially in head, mandible, eye diameter, inter-orbital,
ventral and pectoral fins . Concerning meristic counts, Mediterranean
population shows non-overlap in the number offirst dorsalfin spines as
compared with that ofthe Red Sea. Also it shows larger number ofrays
in second dorsal and anal fins while the reverse is true in the case of
other meristic characters (pectoral rays and vertebrae) .
