Discriminant analysis of geographic variation in hard structures of Todarodes sagittatus from the North Atlantic.

• Main Author: Borges , T. C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Marine Science Symposium 1995
• Subjects: Lamarck; Norway; North Atlantic; Northeast Atlantic; Northern Norway
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/50835/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/50835/1/2913.pdf

Discriminant function analysis was applied to the morphometrics of the ommastrephid squid Todarodes sagittatus (Lamarck 1789) in an attempt (1) to discriminate possible differences in the morphometric characteristics of groups from different geographic locations; (2) to elucidate the possible use of cephalopod hard structure morphmetrics to identify populations; and (3) to determine which of the morphometric characteristics are the most significant in this respect. A total of 27 morphometric characters were measured using the bodies, arms, gladii, beaks, and statoliths of specimens caught off northern Norway, Scotland and Portugal. Statistically significant differences were shown to exist aong the three geographic areas, indicating the possible presence of different populations of T. sagittatus in the Northeast Atlantic. The results demonstrate the usefulness of hard structure morphometrics as a tool for analysing variation within species.