云纹石斑鱼与褐石斑鱼形态比较研究

Comparative studies on morphology of Epinephelus moara and E.bruneus

对在分类上存在混乱的云纹石斑鱼(Epinephelus moara)和褐石斑鱼(E.bruneus)的外部形态和骨骼系统进行了比较研究,结果表明:两种石斑鱼的体形和体表横带等外部形态特征非常相似,但体表斑纹不同;Fisher逐步判别法分析得出两者在可量性状,如体长/肛长、背鳍基底长/臀鳍基底长和头长/眼径,可数性状,如背鳍鳍条数、鳃耙数和幽门盲囊数等方面的差异达到极显著水平(p<0.001);两者骨骼系统均由脑颅、咽颅、脊柱、肋骨和附肢骨骼组成,主轴和附肢骨骼的形态结构基本相同,但在脑颅的眶前骨和眶后骨、咽颅的前鳃盖骨和尾舌骨、附肢骨骼的髓棘间骨以及尾下骨与尾鳍鳍条连接方式等方面存在明显差异。上述形态与骨骼差异可作为两种石斑鱼种间分类的依据。研究结果确认云纹石斑鱼和褐石斑鱼为两个不同的物种。

To identify the animal species accurately is very important for both biologist and farmer. Groupers are of considerable importance in the commercial and artisanal fisheries in tropical and subtropical seas. It presents certain difficulties and confusions in the identification of the species. For example, whether E. rnoara and E. bruneus, with the closely similarity in outer shape and distribution belong to one species or not, has being existed the argument for a long time. The interspeeific differences between them were mainly identified on the basis of the skeleton system as well as the meristic and morphometric characters. The results revealed as the followings： （1） Although their outer shape, color and bands were very similar, the bars on the body were different. By means of the Fisher Discriminant Function Analysis, statistically significant difference would be found to exist between E. rnoara and E. bruneus （p〈0. 001） in meristie and morphometric characters, such as the ratios of body length/snout-vent length, dorsal fin coxal length/ anal fin coxal length and head length/diameter of eyes, the numbers of dorsal fin rays, gill rakers and pyloric caeca; （2） They were basically homologous on the configuration and composition of neuroeranium, splanehnocranium, vertebrate, rib and appendicular skeleton, but there were many remarkably differences, Preorbital, Post-orbital, Preoperculare, Urohyal,Predorsal interneural spine and the connection of Hypurals and Caudal spine and so on. As we known, these skeletons could also be used as the important characters to identify genera or species in fishes. Accordingly, we considered that E. moara and E. bruneus were different species in the same genus.