Using otolith shape and morphometry to identify four Alburnus species (A. chalcoides, A. escherichii, A. mossulensis and A. tarichi) in Turkish inland waters

Asteriscus otolith shapes as well as their morphometry and shape contours were investigated in order to identify four allopatric Alburnus species: A. chalcoides (Güldenstädt, 1772) (Ordu), A. escherichii Steindachner, 1897 (Eskişehir), A. mossulensis Heckel, 1843 (Tunceli), and A. tarichi (Güldenstädt, 1814) (Van) in Turkish inland waters. These were compared using the shape indices (form factor, roundness, circularity, ellipticity, rectangularity and aspect ratio), and the morphological characters [otolith weight (OWE), otolith length (OL), otolith width (OW), otolith perimeter (OP), and otolith area (OA)]. The overall canonical discriminant analysis (CDA) classification score was 93.8%, with the lowest score for A. escherichii (82.5%) and the highest for A. chalcoides (100%). The otolith shapes, morphology and shape contours of all sampled fish were a clear species differentiator, thereby demonstrating that the otolith shape is species‐specific. The current study presents for the first time comprehensive variation information on interspecific left‐right asteriscus otoliths in males and females of each Alburnus species: A. chalcoides from Ordu, A. escherichii from Eskişehir, A. mossulensis from Tunceli and A. tarichi from Van, based on a total of 307 individuals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, shape contours and other otolith characters vary within the same genus; these differences should be investigated not only in other freshwater fish species or genera but also in the same species living in different habitats. In addition, further investigation is required not only with respect to the morphometry, biometry, shape, geometry, and shape contours of the otoliths, but also regarding the genetic methods for robust identification of various sympatric and allopatric fish populations.