International Journal of Marine Science, 2017, Vol.7, No.20, 188-199
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Fin anomalies in general are extremely well documented in both wild and reared fish (Divanach et al., 1996), but
those of the dorsal fin are not adequately reported (Hussain, 1979). Dorsal fin anomalies usually involved in the
saddleback syndrome (Sfakianakis et al., 2003; Al-Mamry et al., 2010; Jawad and AL-Mamry, 2012).
Productive growth in the bone tissue known as hyperostosis
, which characterized by an increase of the periosteal
ossification combined with resorption of the bony
tissue (Meunier et al., 2010). This type of anomaly is known for
the first time as “os vormianum” by Worm in 1655
(Schlüter et al., 1992) and letter on it was described by Grabda
(1982) as “like cystic growths”. In fishes, hyperostosis occurs in specific bones such as skulls, claviculae, and
hemal and neural spines (Smith-Vaniz et al., 1995). It has been reported from a wide range of fish species
belonging to about 22 (Smith-Vaniz et al., 1995; Smith-Vaniz and Carpenter, 2007; Rapisarda et al., 2008;
Meunier et al., 2010; Giarratana et al., 2012). One of the usage of hyperostosis is in the identification between
closely related species (Yasuda and Mizuguchi, 1969).
Due to hereditary causes that resulted in an enzyme disorder that control the metabolism of melanin, lack of
pigmentation happened in the cells and this case is known as albinism (Kinnear et al., 1985). The incidence of
albinism can be: complete or total albinism, which is due to a lack of skin pigmentation; incomplete, where
absence of melanin pigments from parts of the fish body; imperfect, which is recognized by reduced or diluted
pigmentation from skin and partial albinism known when pigmentation that is reduced or absent from localized
portions of skin (Berdeen and Otis, 2011). These forms of albinism were reported from several species of teleost
fishes (e.g., Shinohara and Amaoka, 1993; Delgado et al., 2009; Mansur, 2011; Pillai and Somvanshi, 2011), as
well as among chondrichthyans (Reum et al., 2008; Veena et al., 2011; Bigman et al., 2015).
Disturbance of melanophore order will lead to skin pigment anomalies both in wild or farming conditions. Such
changes cause either partial or hyperpigmentations. The former is characterised by the presence of few dark spots
in different parts of the fish body, while the latter is distinguished by the occurrence of focal or generalised spots,
patches or bands of dark coloration (Groff, 2001).
The 5 types of aberrations were reported in some parts of the northwest Indian Ocean are such as Sea of Oman
and Arabian Gulf (
Jawad and Hosie, 2007;
Almatar and Chen, 2010; Al-Mamry et al., 2010; Jawad, 2013; Jawad
et al., 2013). No previous such abnormalities reports on any fish species on record from the Arabian Gulf coasts of
Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the aim of the present study are: (1) to report for the first time several skeletal
deformities observed in fishes from Saudi Arabia; (2) to describe these anomalies and compare them with those of
the normal individuals.
1 Materials and Methods
One specimen of the families Labridae,
Bodianus macrognathus
showed pughead anomaly; Lethrinidae,
Lethrinus
nebulosus
; Soleidae,
Euryglossa orientalis
; Scatophagidae,
Scatophagus argus
; and Haemulidae,
Diagramma
pictum
have showed pughead, operculum, dorsal fin, albinism and color disorder anomalies respectively. Two
specimens of the families, Sparidae,
Argyrops spinifer
and Carangidae,
Alepes vari
have showed hyperostosis
abnormality. Fishes were captured on 11
th
March 2016 in the waters of Jubail City, Saudi Arabia. The specimens
were collected by local fishermen using drifting gill net. Body and fins were examined carefully for external
parasites, malformations, amputations and any other morphological anomalies. Specimen of
A. vari
was dissected
to show the shape of the hyperostotic bones. The specimens were deposited in the fish collection of the Fish
Welfare Branch, Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Once in the laboratory, measurements were recorded to the nearest
millimetre.
2 Results
Pughead deformity
Family: Labridae
Bodianus macrognathus
, 450 mm TL, 443 mm SL (Figure 1; Figure 2).
