MORPHOMETRIC, MERSITIC AND SOME BLOOD PARAMETERS OF Barbus grypus SHABOUT (Heckel 1843) IN SULAIMANI NATURAL WATER RESOURCES, IRAQ

Received 05 April, 2019 Accepted 25 April, 2019 Online 30 April, 2019


INTRODUCTION
One of the newest and important aquaculture candidates is Barbus grypus (Heckel 1843). Shabout is a species that can be founded it in river also can be founded in estuaries, getting a maximum size of approximately two meters and more than 50 kg. The ecology of this species is euryhaline and eurytherme and nutritionally omnivorous and extensively spread in Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq (Nikpei, 1996).Spawning in this species generally occurs between May and mid June (Geldiay and Balik, 1988). Till now, in the literature has a few studies on its the biological characteristics (Al-Hakim et al., 1981; Khalaf et al., 1984;Epler et al., 2001;Sahinoz et al., 2007;Oymak et al., 2008;Khadjeh et al., 2010). Morphometric study of fish explains the fish shape o in the easiest probable fashion, removing information that is not relevant and so facilitating relationship between different fish species. Thus, morphometric is the study of variation in shape and its covariation with other variables of interests (Bookstein 1991;Dryden and Mardia 1998). Morphometricians use information of morphology to recognize the shape pattern variation within and among sample (life stages, populations, species etc.) as well as in framing and testing hypothesis concerning the variation origins of those in the pattern of growth. However, taxonomists and systematists use morphological information to illustrate and in diagnose of species. Analyses of enumerable body feature (meristic) have been broadly used for studying of fish stock structure. The majority enumerated features are external, involving fin spine number and fin rays, gill rakers and scales. Identification of fish stock has a long history throughout meristic analysis; nearly all fish species that take place as various stocks and that have been the subject of fishery management, also have received at least some analysis of meristic (Waldman, 2005). Another biomarker that has been used in diagnoses is the profile of hematology. For intensive fish rearing of with least losses, it is essential to be responsive of the fish health status. Variables in blood are helpful criteria to show physiological disturbances in intensively farmed fishes and can supply significant information for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Dawson (1979) noted that hematology a vital tool to study the rate and consequence of the toxins with-out losing the animals. The changes in blood of fish earlier to the onset of more outstanding morphological and physiological changes can be indicative of unfavorable aquatic medium (Eisler, 1967). For instance, variations in quality and quantity in hematological parameters as well as the red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) numbers, hematocrit (HCT, also recognized as packed cell volume (PCV)), the hemoglobin amount (Hb) are the most important findings as regards diagnosis (Şahan et al., 2007). Even though evaluation of spermatological and hematological characteristics of some fish species have been studied in few studies (Imanpoor and Farahi, 2011), there are no available data on B. grypus in Sulaimani natural water resources. The present study aimed to give a preliminary data about the morphometric, meristic description and some blood parameters of the B. grypus, with hope to increase the information about the B. grypus in Sulaimani freshwater fish.

Sampling
Barbus grypus fish were caught by using gill net by fisherman in natural waters in Sulaimani city. Fish were selected in different sizes and allocated for three different groups by body length (20-30 cm, 30-40 cm and 40-50 cm). Thirteen specimens of wild B. grypus were sampled. After catching blood samples for hematological parameters were collected. These fish were brought to the laboratory of fish animal science department, college of agricultural science, university of Sulaimani, then all the morphometric parameters were measured individually.

Morphometric characters
Nearly thirteen external morphometric variables were measured on the head and body of each fish specimen using electronic digital balance, wooden measuring tray and other measuring scales to the nearest 0.1cm. All morphometric characters that were measured presented in Table 1.

Meristic characters
For all fish were counted the numbers of spines and rays for all fins of the fish body. Also, for the pectoral fin were counted spines and rays from both left and right sides of fish body. All merstric characters that were measured presented in Table 2.

Statistical analysis
Data collected for all parameters were analyzed by one way anova in a completely randomized design (CRD). Means with significant differences were compared by Duncan's multiple range tests, according to p˂0.05 significance. Statistical analysis results are shown as mean values in tables. The statistical calculations of the results were completed using XLSTAT. Different letters were given to different treatments.

Morphometric characters
Fish body weight for first group was 223.5±10.8 g, second group was 257.3±19.45g and 591.5±37.07 g for third group of fish, there was a significant difference between groups three with two other groups. The standard length (SL) for (20-30 cm) length was 26.27±0.64 cm, 29.43±0.73 for (30-40 cm) length and 37.35±0.91 for (40-50 cm) length, there were significant differences among them.

Mersitic characters
Numbers of rays on dorsal fin were 7.5± 0.18, 7.8±0.25 and 8.08±0.05 for (20-30 cm), (30-40) cm and (40-50 cm), respectively. There was a significant difference between (20-30 cm) and (40-50 cm) length. On the other hand, there was no significant difference among three groups of length for number of spines on dorsal fin which was 1 for each groups of length. Numbers of rays on caudal fin were 18.9±0.12, 19.2± 0.05 and 19.5±0.99 for (20-30 cm), (30-40) cm and (40-50 cm), respectively. There was no significant difference among groups. There were no spines on caudal fin for each group of fish length. Results for other traits were presented in Table 4.   Table 5.

DISCUSSION
Differences in meristic characters have been used as an essential tool in separating of populations in different fish species (Seymour, 1959;Anthony and Boyar, 1968). Variations in meristic between populations of fishes may be affected by genetic or environmental factors, or both (Bailey and Gosline, 1955). Many workers have recognized the variations in meristic characters to environmental factors such as light, temperature and dissolved oxygen through the period from fertilization to hatching (Taning, 1952;Wallace, 1973;Kwain, 1975 Caudal peduncle lengths were 6.58±0.12, 6.63±0. 25 and 8.49±0.219 for (20-30cm, 30-40 cm and 40-50 cm) length, respectively. The data from present study was similar with (Borkenhagen, 2014) that reported caudal peduncle length for Arabibarbus grypus was 15.3 cm (as percentage of standard length). Caudal peduncle depths were 2.8±0.06, 3.72±0.21 and 5.47±0.15 for (20-30cm, 30-40 cm and 40-50 cm) length, respectively. This finding was approximately close to (Borkenhagen, 2014), who noted that the caudal peduncle for Arabibarbus grypus was 9.8 mml. Numbers of rays on dorsal fin were 7.5±0.18, 7.8±0.25 and 8.08±0.05 for (20-30cm, 30-40 cm and 40-50 cm) length, respectively. The data in this study was confirmed by (Borkenhagen, 2014), who stated that the number of rays on dorsal fin was between7 to 9 rays.

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this study is the first study on B. grypus in Sulaimani natural water resources that include investigations of morphometric, mersitic and hematological parameters. The results represent a precious baseline dataset and supply background information in this species that has large potential in aquaculture.

COMPETING INTEREST
We declare that they have no competing interests.