BIOLOGIYA MORYA, 2017, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 403-412

Morphometric differences between two smelt species, Hypomesus japonicus (Brevoort, 1856) and H. nipponensis (McAllister, 1963) (Pisces: Osmeridae), from the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan

© 2017 K. T. Wu¹, Yu. Ph. Kartavtsev^{1, 2}

¹Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok 690091;
²A.V. Zhirmunsky Institute of Marine Biology, National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041

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Two smelt species inhabiting the northwest of the Sea of Japan, Hypomesus japonicus and H. nipponensis (family Osmeridae), both currently referred to as Japanese smelt, have been studied in order to clarify the taxonomic value of morphometric characters. Variations between individuals of these species have been revealed using a multivariate analysis of their morphometric characters and indices. The results of the analysis show that H. japonicus is distinguished from H. nipponensis both by the previously known characters (smaller eye diameter and the vertical through the beginning of dorsal fin being closer to head than that through the beginning of pelvic fin) and by a greater height of dorsal and adipose fins in the former species. Within the species H. japonicus, individuals sampled from Olga Bay are most similar morphologically to those from the coastal waters off the village of Terney. On the contrary, individuals of this species from the coastal waters off Russky Island and from Olga Bay manifest the greatest differences.

Key words: Japanese smelt, Hypomesus japonicus, H. nipponensis, population structure, morphometry, multivariate analysis.