Elementary Statistics (1+1)

1.4.4 Morphometric and meristic analysis

Measurement of various body proportions such as total length, standard length, fork length, head length etc. for the purpose of statistical comparison with similar measurements for a sub species or a closely related species and establishing the levels of significance at which differences occur. In other words it serves the purpose of establishing the variations and relationships between different quantitative morphological characters of two or more closely related species.

Counts of spines and rays of fins, scales, vertebrae etc., constitute meristic characteristics of fish. These characteristics form one of the important taxonomic tools for differentiating closely related species