Comparison of Morphological Characteristics of Otolith in Four Sciaenid Fishes

Characteristics of otolith morphology and microstructure of Bahaba flavolabiata, Pseudosciaena crocea, Wak tingi and Collichthys lucidus were comparatively studied, and characteristics of difference and similarity of otolith morphology in four sciaenid fishes were summarized. Results indicated that sagittas are long circle or shield shape. The rostrum, antirostrum, postrostrum, pararostrum and central protrusion are very small. Sculcus is obvious and runs through the whole otolith with many rounded aragonite crystals or sharp aragonite crystals in back. The antirostrum is bigger than rostrum and central protrusion is big in asteriscus. There are a lot of leafed aragonite crystals on the edge of wide-leaf or narrow-leaf like in shapes. The lapillus of B. flavolabiata, P. crocea and C. lucidus are spindle-like in shape, and that of W. tingi is rectangular. The ratio between length and height of sagitta, asterisci and lapillus were 1.259-1.890,1.332-1.531 and 0.643-0.716, respectively. The percentage between sagitta length and body length was 4%-6%, and that between sagitta height and body length was 2%-5%. One centronucleus and one primordium were found in sagitta and most of asteriscus, however, more than one centronucleus or one primordium were observed in a few of asteriscus.