TY - JOUR

T1 - Fluctuating asymmetry and other parameters of morphological variation of eelpout Zoarces viviparus (Zoarcidae, Teleostei) from different parts of its distributional range

AU - Lajus, Dmitry

AU - Knust, Rainer

AU - Brix, Ole

PY - 2003/10/1

Y1 - 2003/10/1

N2 - Five populations of eelpout Zoarces viviparus from the White Sea, the Baltic (Gulf of Gdansk and Gulf of Finland) and the North Sea (Wadden Sea and Hafrsfjord) were studied. Using 17 bilateral meristic characters (number of holes in cranial bones) we assessed the following parameters: (i) fluctuating asymmetry (minor deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry), (ii) the factorial component of total phenotypic variance, which is a measure of within-population heterogeneity and (iii) mean values of each character. Morphological similarity among samples was only weakly correlated with geographical distances between sample locations. The magnitude of fluctuating asymmetry was higher in the samples from the White Sea and Hafrsfjord than in samples from the Wadden Sea and the Baltic Sea. The sample from the Gulf of Gdansk was characterized by the lowest fluctuating asymmetry and the highest factorial variation. We propose that among the most important factors determining fluctuating asymmetry in eelpout populations are salinity and temperature conditions and the level of genetic variation.

AB - Five populations of eelpout Zoarces viviparus from the White Sea, the Baltic (Gulf of Gdansk and Gulf of Finland) and the North Sea (Wadden Sea and Hafrsfjord) were studied. Using 17 bilateral meristic characters (number of holes in cranial bones) we assessed the following parameters: (i) fluctuating asymmetry (minor deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry), (ii) the factorial component of total phenotypic variance, which is a measure of within-population heterogeneity and (iii) mean values of each character. Morphological similarity among samples was only weakly correlated with geographical distances between sample locations. The magnitude of fluctuating asymmetry was higher in the samples from the White Sea and Hafrsfjord than in samples from the Wadden Sea and the Baltic Sea. The sample from the Gulf of Gdansk was characterized by the lowest fluctuating asymmetry and the highest factorial variation. We propose that among the most important factors determining fluctuating asymmetry in eelpout populations are salinity and temperature conditions and the level of genetic variation.

KW - Baltic sea

KW - Fluctuating asymmetry

KW - Morphological variation

KW - North Sea

KW - White Sea Zoarces viviparus

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0242372073&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/00364820310001985

DO - 10.1080/00364820310001985

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0242372073

VL - 88

SP - 247

EP - 260

JO - Sarsia

JF - Sarsia

SN - 0036-4827

IS - 4

ER -