Scale characteristics of Carangoides bajad (Forsskål, 1775) and Caranx melampygus (Cuvier, 1833) from the Southern Red Sea, Egypt

Abstract

The present study aimed to screening and documenting the diversity of scale characteristics of Carangoides bajad and Caranx melampygus from the Red Sea, Egypt. The valid useful scale characteristics for systematic purposes were determined in the term of morphometry and scanning electron microscopic techniques. A wide spectrum of size-free intraspecific variations between different body regions was recorded in each species in terms of morphometric indices. The scale characters included the overall form of the scales and their morphometrics, shape of the first circuli, form of circuli, the outer lateral and inner lateral circuli, granulation of caudal field. Moreover, the forms of the lateral line canal scales were valid in differentiation between species under study.