Effect of turbidity on fish morphology: A case study of swordtail, Xiphophurus helleri, during early ontogeny

Abstract

This work is aimed to study the effect of turbidity on the swordtail’s body shape during its early developmental stages. For this purpose, two treatments were designed as turbid and clear water, each with three replicates for 60 days. The body shape data was extracted by digitizing 16 landmark points on 2D pictures to analysis using the geometric morphometric technique. The results showed a significant difference between the two treatments in terms of body shape. Fish under turbid conditions had shorter eye diameters, lower and shorter heads, more dorsal position snout, and deeper caudal peduncles. The priorities in the new environment i.e. turbid water needs to be changed to decrease the adverse effect of the resulting pressures of this environment and increase the survival rate leading to increasing the ability of the developing fish to occupy a wider range of habitats.