Morphology and sexual dimorphism of the Salema <i>Sarpa salpa</i> (Linnaeus, 1758) on Annaba coasts

Abstract

This work deals with the biometrics of the Salema Sarpa salpa from the coasts of eastern Algeria. Using metric and meristic criteria, the morphology of the species is characterized and compared to other individuals from different localities in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The Salema of the Annaba coasts show an isometry of growth of the majority of the metric characters considered (9 out of 16), both in females and in males, but it is not always the same characters. Two characters show sexual morphological dimorphism: the length of the maxilla and the diameter of the eye. Females are said to have a larger maxilla and orbital diameter. Regarding the numerical criteria, we note their greater extent in the Salema of the Annaba coast compared to the other Mediterranean and Atlantic populations studied.