Otolith shape analyses of Squalius cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae) inhabiting four inland water bodies of the middle Black Sea region, Turkey

This study was carried out to determine the intra- and inter- population variations of chub, Squalius cephalus, utricular and lagenar otolith shapes sampled from four localities in the Black Sea region. Otolith shape indices, including Form Factor (FF), Circularity (C), Roundness (RO), Rectangularity (RE), Aspect Ratio (AR) and Ellipticity (E) were used for otolith shape analyses and multivariate analyzes (Canonical Discriminant Analysis) were used to assess interspecies variations. The FF and C were found statistically significant for lapillus, but not for asteriscus otoliths in the four habitats. Furthermore, RO was similar for all localities for both asteriscus and lapillus. CDA results showed that 66.5% of the chub individuals were correctly classified. The results indicated otolith shape can be used as a suitable tool to discriminate chub populations.