Biometry of the fishes Barbus plebejus and Barbus capito from Coruh Basin, Turkey Kemal Solak1, Ali Alas2*, Muhittin Yılmaz3 & Ahmet Öktener4 1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Gazi University, Ankara,Turkey. 2.* Department of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Education, Aksaray University, 68100, Aksaray-Turkey;
[email protected] 3. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Art, Kafkas University, 36100, Kars, Turkey. 4. Istanbul Provencial Directorate of Agriculture, Directorate of Control, Kumkapı Fish Auction Hall, Aquaculture Office, Kumkapı, TR-34130 Istanbul, Turkey. Received 08-V-2008. Corrected 9-VIII-2008. Accepted 11-IX-2008. Abstract: Metric and meristic characters are important to identify fish species and their habitat peculiarities. There are many species that belong to the fish genus Barbus, which is found in tropical and extratropical regions, but there are few studies covering the Coruh basin. Two subspecies of Barbus were found in the Coruh River sys- tem of Eastern Anatolia, Turkey: Barbus plebejus escherichi and Barbus capito capito. We collected specimens in seven localities for measurement. The number of vertebra were determined radiographically. Some specimens of B. capito capito have a sharper snout in the segments of Coruh where the water flows faster, suggesting a modification related to current. The biometric measurements vary geographically and could be related to abiotic and biotic factors in the habitat. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (1-2): 159-165. Epub 2009 June 30. Key words: Barbus, metric and meristic characters, Coruh Basin, Turkey. Metric and meristic characters are impor- Turkey. These are Barbus plebejus escherichi tant to identify fish species and their habi- Steındachner, 1897 and Barbus capito capito tat peculiarities as well as ecological criteria Guldenstadt, 1773.