Sex Differences and Sex Identification in the Small-Scaled Scorpionfish, Scorpaena Porcus (Scorpaenidae, Scorpaeniformes)

Abstract

Sex differences and the ability to determine the sex of Scorpaena porcus (Linnaeus, 1758) on morphological characters were studied in the population inhabiting coastal waters of the Black Sea near the southern coast of Crimea. These differences were revealed in size (females are larger than males) and in proportions of the body. It is found that variation of the absolute and relative values in plastic characters is higher in females compared with males. It is shown that in 92 % of individuals belonging to S. porcus we can determine the sex using morphological characters with a probability of 99.9-100 %.

Comparative Morphometric Analysis of the Smallscaled Scorpionfish, Scorpaena Porcus (Scorpaenidae, Scorpaeniformes), from the Southern Coast of the Crimea and Eastern Part of the Adriatic Sea

“…In the study of body proportions were calculated relative values for 20 plastic characters: relative to the standard body length -14 (for all measurements except those for head), relative to the head length -5 (for measurements of the head) and 1 -the ratio of caudal peduncle height to the maximum height of the body. Th e sex of the small-scaled scorpionfi sh was determined on the absolute values of plastic characters using a linear discriminant analysis (Peskov, Manilo, 2016). For each sample, standard statistical parameters in a number of variations were calculated: minimum (min), maximum (max) and the arithmetic mean (M) of character value, the error of the arithmetic mean (m), standard deviation (SD) and the coeffi cient of variation (CV, %).…”

“…In the Black Sea, particularly near the Turkish coast, S. porcus is well represented in the local fi shery. Near the coast of the Crimea, this fi sh is an object of amateur fi shing and spearfi shing within the depths of 5-20 m. In S. porcus, sex diff erences in the rate of growth, maturation and life span, as well as in linear dimensions and proportions of the body are well expressed (Smirnov, 1986;Bilgin, Çelik, 2009;Ferri et al, 2010;Peskov, Manilo, 2016). According to the literature, females grow faster than males and usually are larger in the same age.…”