The Morphological Measurement Variations of Periophthalmus chrysospilos along the Coastline in the Mekong Delta

Abstract

This study provided data on morphological variation in Periophthalmus chrysospilos. The study was carried out in four provinces from Tra Vinh to Soc Trang, Bac Lieu and Ca Mau. Fish samples were collected by hand-catching over 12 months from April 2020 to March 2021. Analysed results of a collection of 1,031 individuals (508 females and 523 males) showed that the total length (TL) and weight (W) of the female Periophthalmus chrysospilos were higher than that of the male, higher in the wet season than in the dry season and gradually increased from Tra Vinh to Ca Mau. Besides, the total length and weight of fish were also influenced by the interaction of season ´ site and gender ´ site. In addition, the morphological variation of this species such as eye diameter (ED), eye distance (DE), body height (BD), head length (HL) and taxonomic ratios such as HL/TL, BD/TL, ED/HL, DE/HL was gender, seasonal fluctuations and study sites. These morphological variations and ratios were also influenced by interactions season ´ site interactions. The findings contributed further information to fish identification and the ecological adaptation understanding of this species.