The urohyal is incorporated within the hyoid and branchial arches and performs a significant role in the mouth opening-closing mechanism of fishes, and is considered a synapomorphy of teleostean fishes. Morphological variation of the urohyal, in terms of size and shape parameters, can allow species identification. Morphology of the urohyal in 49 species belonging to 43 genera and 29 families from the Persian Gulf and from the Oman Sea were compared using size and shape measurements. The results examine the suitability of using the urohyal morphology in differentiating fish species from this region; highlighting the taxonomic value of the urohyal, which until now, had been studied little in terms of use as a diagnostic feature in the classification of teleosts.

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In the present work, the morphological characteristics of sagitta were described and analysed for 10 species of combtooth blennies (Blenniidae) inhabiting the intertidal region of the Persian Gulf and Makran zone of Oman Sea to see the taxonomic usefulness of otoliths, especially their hidden characters for species identification. Based on the obtained results, sagitta morphology could be considered as diagnostic characters distinguishing the genera Alticus, Antennablennius, Istiblennius, Omobranchus and Parablennius showing differences related to general shape, that is, elliptic/oval to triangular; shape of antirostrum and its degree of development; the degrees of convexity of ventral and dorsal margins, and shape of ostium. The common/general otolith characters shared in the all studied combtooth blennies, is the heterosulcoid condition, which is a shared character with Perciformes and Gobiiformes. The type of sulcus is ostial, and it can be considered as a plesiomorph character shared with a basal group of actinopterygian fishes. The obtained results could be useful in taxonomical, paleontological, ecological and food and feeding habits studies.

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