Scale Surface Microstructure and Scale Size in Three Mugilid Fishes (Teleostei, Mugilidae) of Iran from Three Different Habitats

A substantial number of species within mugilid family has been recorded from marine, brackish and freshwater bodies of Iran. Descriptions of these species have been based mainly on morphological and anatomical data; however, the characters related to the fish scales have not up to now been intensively studied and employed for the identification of the fish species. The objective of this study is to test whether (i) scale surface morphology and microstructure, and (ii) scale size can be used to discriminate species. To achieve these objectives, scales of three species of the genus Liza from three different habitats, Liza abu (freshwater, Maharlu basin), Liza klunzingeri (sea, Persian Gulf) and Liza saliens (brackish water, Caspian Sea) have been studied using SEM images, scale measurements, and uni and multivariate statistics. It is opined that scale surface morphology and microstructure may help in distinguishing the species. In addition, scale size and J-indices, represent a valuable tool for species separation, which corroborates earlier studies for the use of these indices in fish taxonomy.