Otolith Morphology and Body Size Relationships for Selected Fishes in Suez Canal and Gulf of Suez

The morphology of the sacular otolith (sagitta) was studied by means of image analysis of 28 extant species from Suez Canal and Gulf of Suez. The shape, margins and rostrum of sagittal otoliths for all species were analyzed. No difference was detected between left and right otolith length for any of the otolith pairs (paired t-tests, all p > 0.20). The largest otolith was recorded in Morone saxatilis and Argyrosomus regius; while the smallest otolith was recorded in Myripristis botche. (sic)Also, otolith weight or mass was varying between studied fishes, where the heaviest otolith was recorded in Plectropomus leopardus. Morphological characteristics of fish otoliths were highly variable between species, ranging from the relatively simple disc shape (Terapon puta, Terapontidae) to the irregular shape in Myripristis botche (Holocentridae). The shapes of the otolith of studied species were varying from oblong, ovate, fusiform, elliptic, rhomboidal and triangular. The margin sculpturing of these otoliths have four characters: irregular, lobed, entire and dentate. The relationships between otolith and fish size which examined by plotting the value of the otolith length and weight against the length and weight for each fish.