Abstract:

The morphometric and meristic characters of 2 F2 hybrid striped bass (M. chrysops female × M. saxatilis male × M. chrysops female × M. saxatilis male) from the family Moronidae are described. Two specimens were caught from Kemer Dam Lake. The body of the F2 hybrid striped bass was elongated, moderately compressed, and scaly. Dorsal surface and sides were silver and black to olive-gray, and the abdomen was white in color. Four or 5 longitudinal broken stripes ran above the lateral line to the caudal fin. The stripes were less visible behind the pectoral fins and below the lateral line. The bodies of the F2 specimens were deeper than 1/4 the fork length. The 2 dorsal fins were separated entirely. The first dorsal fin had 8-9 spines, and the second dorsal fin had a spine and 13-14 soft rays. The caudal fin was slightly forked. The anal fin had 3 spines with 12-14 soft rays. One tooth patch was present on the anterior of the tongue. According to our results, the fish were F2 hybrid striped bass offspring of F1 hybrid striped bass, which can reproduce naturally in Turkey. Morphological criteria showed that the F2 hybrids tended to resemble white bass (M. chrysops).

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