Subterranean Fishes of the World

6533

2024

Turkish Journal of Zoology

296-309

48(5)

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Abstract: The primary objectives of this study were to advance understanding of the morphological intricacies exhibited by the endemic fish species Delminichthys ghetaldii, commonly known as the Trebinje minnow, and to determine intraspecific morphological variability. The study involved the examination of 76 mature specimens collected since 2018 from five distinct karst fields located within the Dinaric region of Eastern Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina. A comprehensive analysis of 22 morphometric and 8 meristic characteristics was conducted to unravel the underlying patterns of variation. Discriminant function analysis was employed for the thorough investigation of the morphometric traits, whereas canonical correspondence analysis was applied to scrutinize the meristic traits. The discriminant function analysis yielded noteworthy outcomes, revealing substantial differentiations across 17 morphological characteristics within samples from diverse karst fields. Furthermore, it revealed notable dissimilarities in four morphometric characteristics when data including both male and female specimens were examined. Remarkably, these analyses showed that Delminichthys ghetaldii specimens inhabiting the Popovo karst field exhibit significant morphological disparities compared to those in the other fields. Conversely, individuals from the Fatničko karst field showed a pronounced morphological affinity with their counterparts from the Mokro karst field. Intriguingly, a resemblance in morphometric characteristics was noted between Delminichthys ghetaldii inhabitants of the Dabarsko karst field and those from the Ljubomirsko karst field. The assessment of osteological meristic characteristics across samples from the five distinct karst fields, as well as the differentiation between male and female specimens, did not reveal any statistically significant distinctions. Key words: Bosnia and Herzegovina, karstified relief, morphological differentiation, Popovo minnow, stenoendemism, subterranean life

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