Comparisons of Witch Flounder ( Glyptocephalus cynoglossus ) Stocks of the Newfoundland–Labrador Area, Based upon a New Multivariate Analysis Method for Meristic Characters

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: Bowering, W. R., Misra, R. K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1982
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Newfoundland; Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f82-080; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f82-080

Although meristic characters are recognized as a very useful basis for examining problems pertaining to differences among fish populations, in general, and fish stock separation, in particular, statistical methods used on such data have, as far as we are aware, not been very appropriate. This paper presents (i) a new multivariate statistical method developed by modifying a method that has been used on human data in the past and, (ii) a study of witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) meristics in the Newfoundland–Labrador area of the northwest Atlantic. Our findings indicate seven distinct populations of witch flounder throughout the area surveyed. Based on this method, our results agree remarkably well with those made by using entirely different techniques.Key words: witch flounder, meristics, multivariate, stocks, area