engleski

Cottus Ferrugineus – Danubian Or Endemic Species?

Two sculpin species inhabit Croatian rivers: Cottus gobio in the rivers of the Danubian watershed and Cottus ferrugineus in the River Zrmanja, belonging to the Adriatic watershed. Although this second species was determined as a separate species back in 1858 by Heckel and Kner, its taxonomic position has been disputed and is still uncertain. The aim of this paper is to reveal the morphometric and meristic characteristics of Cottus ferrugineus and to compare them to those of Cottus gobio. 50 specimens of each sculpin species were collected and the comparative analysis of their morphometric and meristic features conducted. 27 morphometric ratios were found to be significantly different (p<0.05) between the two species. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) revealed differences between the species and separated them. The number of fin rays and vertebrae was also different in the two sculpins. Revealed morphological variances between the two sculpin species, as well as the separation made by Principal Components Analysis, indicate that they represent separate species.

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