Morphometric and meristic characteristics of the goldside loach Sabanejewia balcanica (Cobitidae) in Central Croatia.
We studied sixteen morphometric and eight meristic characteristics of forty-five goldside loaches from two rivers in central Croatia, the Bijela and the Petrinjcica, belonging to the Sava River basin. We found significant differences (P<0.01) in all the morphometric characteristics of the populations from these two rivers. While the mean total length (TL) of the goldside loache population from Petrinjcica (mean TL = 60.4 mm, min-max = 52.8 - 70.2 mm) is comparable with TL in other populations described in Europe, individuals from the Bijela seem to be significantly larger (mean TL = 91.8 mm; min-max = 76.4 mm- 102.4 mm) and are among the longest specimens in Europe. Although we can not be sure if this is a result of phenotype variability or some specific taxonomic quality, the position of the Bijela on the old isolated massif of Mt Papuk may have led to the specific morphometric characteristics of this goldside loach population.
Teacher Education Academy, University of Zagreb, Savska, Zagreb, Croatia.
Antun
A
Delić
Mladen
M
Kucinić
Mato
M
Bucar
Bojan
B
Lazar
Milorad
M
Mrakovcić
D000818:Animals; D001699:Biometry; D002965:Classification; D017523:Croatia; D003531:Cypriniformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification; D010641:Phenotype