Caracterização morfométrica da corvlna Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest) (Pisces, Sciaenidae) na Baía de Sepetiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

The white croaker Micropogonias fumieri (Desmarest, 1823) is one of the most abundant fish species in the Sepetiba Bay, being heavily exploited in fisheries. Two hundred eleven fishes, captured from October 1998 to September 1999, in monthly samplings with otter trawling, were studied. The aim here is to characterize morphometrics of populations that use de Bay in order to compare with other areas. Measurements included standard length (SL), head length (HL), Pre-dorsal distance (PDD), pectoral distance (PD), ventral distance (VD) and anal distance (AD), pectoral length (PL) and eye diarneter (ED). The values of HL, PDD, PD, VD, AD, were related to SL, while ED was related to HL. Scatterplot from logaritrnized data, by sex, were analyzed in order to assess alometry. Males outnumber females with differences being highly significant (p I) were shown for PL in both sexes, and for AD in female, indicating that these measurements increase proportionately more than the standard length; isometric growth (k = 1) were shown for HL, PDD, PD, VD in both sexes, for AD in males; negative alometry (k < 1) was shown only for ED in relation to head length (HL), in both males and females. The white croaker populations in lhe Sepetiba Bay seems to be similar in their morphometrics aspects to the populations of coastal zone at Southeast Brazil, which differ from South coastal zone populations