Variation of Body Proportions During the Period of Growth of Trematomus (Pisces; Nototheniidae*) Bernacchii Boul
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
POLISH POLAR RESEARCH (POL. POLAR RES.) POLSKIE BADANIA POLARNE 3 1-2 69-79 1982 Ryszard J. WRÓBLEWSKI Department of Polar Research, Institute of Ecology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Dziekanów Leśny. Variation of body proportions during the period of growth of Trematomus (Pisces; Nototheniidae*) bernacchii Boul. ABSTRACT: It was demonstrated that in the fishes of the species Trema- tomus bernacchi, predominant in the regions of the USSR Antarctic Station Mirny (Davis Sea), body proportions changes along with the growth of these specimens. Measurements include 20 plastic features in 171 fishess (total length 110.2—265.0 mm). Statistically significant variations of eleven proportions of the body were stated during the growth of the fishes. Five other proportions changed in a degree of little statistical significance, whereas the last three of the body proportions did not change at all. KEY WORDS: Antarctic ichthyology, taxonomic measurements 1. Introduction Taxonomy of a number of the Antarctic species of fishes, also of the genus Trematomus, is based on the proportions of various parts of the body (DeWitt and Tyler 1960). A wide range of the values of these proportions — probably different in specimens of different size (different age) — may arouse some reservations. This is quite justifiable particularly in the case of none too well known species of the Antarctic ichthyofauna, since on the basis of different values of body proportions in young and adult specimens they could be mistakenly classified into separate systematic groups. The aim of these studies was to demonstrate whether and if so then to what degree the most frequently mesured taxonomic plastic features are changing along with the growth of Trematomus bernacchii Boul. An attempt was made to define a group of features, which on account of great variation should have a limited significance in taxo- nomy. *) This study was supported by the Polish Academy of Sciences, as a part of the Project MR-II-16. 70 Ryszard J. Wróblewski Genus Trematomus bernacchi has been known and described for a long time (Norman 1940). The present studies, however, are the first observations of this type made on Antarctic fishes. 2. Material and methods Material was collected during the 1979 wintering at the USSR Geo- physical Observatory Mirny (66°33' S; 93°01' E). From May until No- vember 1979 Trematomus bernacchii fishes were caught with hooks and traps in the littoral zone of the Davis Sea. The weight of the fishes ranged from 16.5 to 411.0 g wet weight and their total length ranged from 110.1 mm to 265.0 mm. Dependence of the wet weight (W) on the total length (TL) is described by the equation of regression in logarithmic form: log W = a + b log TL where: a and b are coefficients of regression. In females, making up about 70% of the collection, barely early developmental stages of oocy- tes were found. Therefore, in the elaboration of the results specimens were not segregated according to their sex. Measurements were made on dead, unfixed material directly after catch. In 171 specimens 20 plastic features of the head and the body were measured with a micrometer (i 0.1 mm). The measurements of various parts of the head are presented in relation to the head length (Lc 1); other measurements — in relation to the standard length (SL). Letter symbols of the selected taxonomic features and used after В a - luśkin (1976): TL — total length, SL — standard length, Lcl — head length, О — orbital diameter, iO — interorbital space, aO — snout length, He — head depth, Lmx — lower jaw length, Lmd — upper jaw length, aA — anteanal distance, H — body depth, hio-n — body depth at 10—11 dorsal fin rays, h.2o-2i — body depth at 20—21 dorsal fin rays, LV — pelvic fin length, LP — pectoral fin length, LV A — anteventral distance, aDl — 1st antedorsal distance, aD2 — 2nd ante- dorsal distance, Lcp — caudal peduncle length, Hep — caudal peduncle depth. Five groups of body length (TL group) were formed within the range of the total length of caught fishes: I — 110.1—140.0 mm; II — 140.1—170.0 mm; III — 170.1—200.0 mm; IV — 200.1—230.0 mm; V — 230.1—265.0 mm (extended for methodological reasons). Results from the measurements (proportions) within the range of each TL group were worked out statistically, giving means values (x), their coefficients of variation (CV) and confidence intervals (CI). The degree and direction of the changes in body proportions with the growth of fishes were determined by comparison of the mean proportions from each TL group (x ± CI). Moreover, for the whole groups of 171 spe- cimens "interaproportional" correlations were determined, i.e between the measured features and the length — respectively — of the head (Lcl) or the body (SL). These relations are described by the coefficient of correlation — "r" (Martin 1967, Iwaniszewska 1976). Variation of body proportions of Trematomus bernacchii 71 3. Results and discussion Correlation between the total length of the body (TL in millimeters) and the wet weight of fishes (W in grams) was determined (Fig. 1). 100 200 500 TL (mm) Fig. 1. Correlation between wet weight and total length according to the equation of regression The value of the coefficient of repression "b" is 3.6074 and indicates a distinctly allometric character of the growth of fishes of the species Trematomus bernacchii. Similar interdependence was observed earlier in various species of the genus Trematomus, among others also in Tre- matomus bernacchii, and it was suggested that this correlation should be included into the group of taxonomic features (Rakusa-Susz- c z e w s к i 1972). For instance: Trematomus borchgrevinki differring slightly from other species of the genus Trematomus (Andrjashev 1966) characterizes a different more isometric character of the growth of the body. The values of 19 proportions of the body were calculated — mean values for each of the five TL groups (Table I—III). Confidence inter- 4 Ryszard J. Wróblewski <» -ч t» ON VI o 00 Г-- —I o t» W vi o 8 f- f o f| oo NO ON ł-4 ON 5 - Tf o Ot N V—I1 o О 00 ГЧ Os ГЧ vi o ON Fi f> ON o VI m O "-t O ND ^ —с Os o' o' vi o' o' oo -Ч O VI OŚ -ч О Vi O O NO o o' .©ot»' V rl O rt ON ON VI o f fl fl V VI V VI ON NO vo oo (N1 fl fl V Tf fi r- rl I/-1 f o V O O 45 f o o' d fi d O vi fi O o vi o o ; <S t IN O П SC NO Vi ON f. 1 a 2 s oo O Ol ON ON Г 1 VI — ~ Г» Tf OO О H o O IN ^ o oo NO RL ON MOI» <4 o t fi o fl o VI fi o —I £ 45 ON' o o t o' o' vi O o 45 o' o' vi O o' rf OVI «O ON —l ON 00 <N ON t fl н fi 00 ON fl o SD Tf <N VI 1» O 14 t» t <N OO rl NO 00 o o oo O OO o ON oo O 1- o o' o' It O O vi o' o' t o' o' \o o' o' fl o Vi o Vi — O <4 45 ON fl <N О Г» ; fl fl V VI г» 00 --Ч oo fl rl r-l ON fl oo ON O OO 45 ^ 45 p Д rf V O V O fl V o f o o t Ц O S !? S ON o' o fi d o' fi ; o o' t' o' o' O O t | o' o' T» ON T ON ON V ^ Vi Tf ' o o _ 45 —« Т» oo ON NO ri -H -H ° 8 г Й t; % i ® m O) f> O <N rl O ? o J I rl V Ol O O t fl O O o' fi o' o' ПОO o' П : ЧoО —o, ON o' o' Tf' чо oo 45 O rl 1— 00 oo N Ol M fl 00 V) V 45 V, '45 oo V) V 5: £ o; г*-, O t V o ОС O ON ON O — 04 rl O f. rl o ON n o IN — o o t: S vi O O Vi' t» O ON o o' O o' O O o' I NC fl f, t» 45 o O o O 1» 45 oo ON fl fl o H VI ON Vi o VI o ON o V, o ^ V, O 45 —I ON O O o' o ri o с o O fi o' o' O o ON I» oo Os r^ t- b n o f ON fi 00 fi fl f fl Os 00 O TtV- o Tf o f O CN t O f. O o 45 — o 00 — o V —. O ON 9i ^ ° fi o' o О O VI o' o' o' o' o O vi ci o' I — o o V oo Ol 45 oto h VI ^ °c V л OO Vi fl ON V г» O 3 45 ON NO rl ON fi о Ю =! 1» o f OO o 1» o o ООО; o O rl О 00 ON — o ri o — П o rl O O RJ O ON V — ON O o -r o' d O O 00 o o i- ; do vi ON г» OS -+ Os ON fi NO f Os Г1 » Й RL Щ C\ SC rl 1С —I t» t а) ь « V о ON O VI o 1o» o 3 —i о —I ООП 00 ЧС rl V rl г) г- OS — O rl o o o МОИ not F' —I ON oo t o o vi o' o' o' O v6 о о' 45 О о Cl 3 ^ С о •U a, II ^ Я < fe > Variation of body proportions of Trematomus bernacchii 73 Table II Differences of little significance statistically x±Cl (0.1%); CV(%) TL SL LP LV A Lcp Hep group • — TP SL SL SL SP N=20 0.8882 0.1862 0.2533 0.0910 0.0739 I 0.0108 0.0115 0.0153 0.0065 0.0042 1.3848 7.1737 7.0464 8.3762 6.6650 N=26 0.8858 0.1986 0.2602 0,0854 0.0794 II 0.0055 0.0094 0.0127 0.0050 0.0021 0.8490 6.4937 6.6920 7.9763 3.8971 ,V=48 0.88% 0.1978 0.2585 0.0842 0.0748 III о.ооз;; 0.0090 0.0121 0.0040 0.0019 0.7198 8.9957 9.2781 9.3749 5.1030 N=40 0.8941 0.1962 0.2792 0.0831 0.0720 IV 0.0038 0.0071 0.0122 0.0041 0.0018 0.7524 6.4127 7.7608 8.7846 4.4466 N=37 0.8958 0.2017 0.2789 0.0820 0.0714 V 0.0052 0.0067 0.0127 0.0043 0.0020 0.9843 5.6225 7.6775 8.9216 4.7825 jY=171 r 0.3935 0.2172 0.4912 -0.3215 -0.4353 ±CI 0.1668 0.1880 0.1909 0.2256 0.1599 P{%) 99 99 99.9 99.9 99 vals (CI), coefficients of variation (CV) and the number (N) of the exa- mined specimens in each TL group are given in the Tables.