OTOLITH MASS ASYMMETRY IN RHYNCHORHAMPHUS GEORGI(VALENCIENNES, 1846)( FAMILY: HEMIRAMPHIDAE) COLLECTED FROM THE SEA OF OMAN

Otolith mass asymmetry in Rhynchorhamphus georgi (Valenciennes, 1846)( Family: Hemiramphidae) collected from the Sea of Oman

Laith A. Jawad, Juma M. Al-Mamry, Hager M. Al-Mamari, Manal M. Al-Yarubi, Haithem K. Al-Busaidi, Dawood S. Al-Mamary

Marine Science and Fisheries Centre, Ministry of Fisheries Wealth, P.O. Box 427, Postal Code 100 Muscat, Sultanate of OMAN
High Technical College, Muscat, Sultanate of OMAN

Abstract

Saccular otolith mass asymmetry was studied in the teleost Rhynchorhamphus georgi collected from the Sea of Oman. It was calculated as the difference between the mass of the right and left paired otoliths divided by average otolith mass. the absolute value of x in R. georgi does not depend on fish length and otolith growth rate as the case of other symmetrical fish species. On the other hand, the absolute value of otolith mass difference is increased with the fish length. The value of x falls between -0.2 and +0.2.

Keywords: Otolith, mass asymmetry, Rhynchorhamphus, the Sea of Oman, Sultanate of Oman

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