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vol-6BULLlDTIN OF THE INSTITurl~ 01+” OCFlANOGRAPHY &, FISHERIES 37
SUMMARY
A thorough morphometric study is carried out on
fry, juveniles and adults of M. cephalus. L. ramada and
L. saliens living at Lake Manzala. Linear regressions
of total length on various body length criteria are given
for both the fry and juveniles (fish smaller than 80 mm)
and the juveniles and adult fishes (longer than 80 mm).
Most of the characters show slight or no differences
between observed and the calculated values. However,
the calculated values of peduncle length and to a less
extent interorbital width, and the considered lengths
of the first dorsal, ventral and anal fins are found to
vary from the observed value for both the small and
large fishes of the three species in the lake.
Some of the regression lines show no change from
the fry to the adult stages and the lines for the adult
appear to be a mere continuation of the lines of the
small fi~hes. Such a condition is reflected by fork
length and preventrallength of the three mullet species.
The regression lines of some characters of one species
are found to coincide with those of the corresponding
ones of another species. The lines of the prefirst dorsal
length of the small fish, and those of the fork, standard,
preanal and presecond lengths and the length of the
pectoral fin of the larger fish, of the three species are
found to coincide.
