Morphological differences between species of the sea bass genus Lateolabrax (Teleostei, Perciformes), with particular emphasis on growth-related changes

Morphological differences, including growth-related changes, were examined in three morphologically similar East Asian sea bass species, Lateolabrax japonicus, L. maculatus and L. latus. In many cases, body measurements indicated specific patterns of growth-related proportional changes. Lateolabrax latus differed from the other two species in having greater body depth, caudal peduncle depth, caudal peduncle anterior depth, snout length, and upper and lower jaw length proportions. In particular, scatter plots for caudal peduncle anterior depth relative to standard length (SL) in that species indicated complete separation from those of the other two species, being a new key character for identification. Comparisons of L. japonicus and L. maculatus revealed considerable proportional differences in many length-measured characters, including fin lengths (first and second dorsal, caudal and pelvic), snout length, post-orbital preopercular width (POPW) and post-orbital length. In particular, snout length (SNL) and POPW proportions of the former were greater and smaller for specimens >200 and ≤ 200 mm SL, respectively. Because the scatter plots of these proportions for the two species did not overlap each other in either size range, identification of the species was possible using a combination of the two characters. In addition, scatter plots of the POPW / SNL proportion (%) of L. japonicus and L. maculatus were almost completely separated throughout the entire size range examined (border level 90%), a further aid to identification. The numbers of pored lateral line scales and scales above the lateral line tended to increase and decrease with growth, respectively, in L. japonicus, whereas scales below the lateral line and gill raker numbers tended to increase with growth in L. maculatus. Because the ranges of these meristic characters may therefore vary with specimen size, they are unsuitable for use as key characters. Accordingly, a new key is proposed for the genus Lateolabrax