Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2
Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, University of Tehran, Tehran, Ira
3
Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
10.22108/tbj.2025.144686.1302
Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate the morphological diversity and understand the morphological adaptation pattern of the Oxynoemacheilus euphraticus, with a wide distribution range in the Persian Gulf basin, which may indicate its high ability to adapt to different habitats. For this purpose, samples were collected from the Khorram River (Karkhe River Sub-basin, Iran), Sirvan (Iranian part of the Tigris Sub-basin), and Euphrates River (tributaries of the Sultanyu River in Malatya (type locality) and the Karasu River, Turkey), transferred to the laboratory, and 25 morphometric characteristics were measured. To investigate the morphological diversity between the studied populations, the measured traits were analyzed after standardization using one-way analysis of variance and Duncan's grouping, principal component analysis, and Canonical variate analysis, with P-value obtained from the NPMANOVA test. results showed significant differences between the studied populations in most of the measured traits, including predorasal length, preventral length, distance between the anus and the origin of the anal fin, height of the caudal peduncle, depth of the dorsal fin, length of the dorsal fin base, body depth at the head and dorsal fin origin, head width, eye diameter, and length of the barbels. PCA and PCA analyses separated the studied populations from each other. The population of the Sultansuy River in Turkey showed greater differentiation than other populations. According to the results, the Euphrates stone loach can adapt to various environmental characteristics by changing the above-mentioned morphological characteristics to live in different habitats, indicating its high phenotypic plasticity to diverse habitats.
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