International Journal of Marine Science, 2017, Vol.7, No.20, 188-199
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The pug-headed specimen had, 83 mm preorbital length. This specimen is compared to normal fish having 475
mm total length, 464 mm standard length, 93 mm preorbital length. The abnormal specimens were shown to have,
short neurocranium, presence of thick turned up premaxilla equipped with thick and sharp 4 teeth and a normal
lower jaw. The mouth was partially open when we obtained the fish, which means that the deformity has not
affected the mechanism of opening and shutting the mouth. The shortening of the snout had brought the steep
forehead and the posterior nostril close to the eye and deformed the anterior nostril (Figures 1; Figure 2). It looks
that all the bones anterior to the orbit were deformed and curved downward perpendicularly toward the mouth
cavity. For these reasons, the forehead is upraised and steep. No other morphological deformities were observed.
Figure 1
Bodianus macrognathus
, 450 mm TL, 443 mm SL, side view
Figure 2
Bodianus macrognathus
, 450 mm TL, 443 mm SL, front view
Operculum deformity
Family: Lethrinidae
Lethrinus nebulosus
, 2 specimens, 354, 356 mm TL, 344, 345 mm SL (Figure 3A; Figure 3B).
The specimen shown in Figure 3A has lost the lower part of the operculum and the whole suboperculum bones.
The interoperculum bone appeared to be thinner than that in the normal specimen. Branchiostegal rays were
normal. The specimen shown in Figure 3B, appeared mild deformity of the operculum, where the posterior dorsal
and posterior ventral margins of the operculum were deformed and appeared not covering the gill‟s chamber. No
other anomalies were noticed.
