Bilateral asymmetry in certain morphological characters of Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell 1852 and Coptodon guineensis (Günther 1862) collected from Lake Ahémé and Porto-Novo Lagoon Bénin, West Africa

Laith Jawad; Pierre Gnohossou; Ayoko Géraldine Tossou

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.049

Bilateral asymmetry in certain morphological characters of Sarotherodon melanotheron Rüppell 1852 and Coptodon guineensis (Günther 1862) collected from Lake Ahémé and Porto-Novo Lagoon Bénin, West Africa

Mar Pollut Bull. 2016 Feb 15;103(1-2):39-44. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.049. Epub 2016 Jan 12.

Authors

Laith Jawad¹, Pierre Gnohossou², Ayoko Géraldine Tossou²

Affiliations

¹ Flat Bush, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: laith_jawad@hotmail.com.
² 09 BP 164, Cotonou, Benin.

PMID: 26790602
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.049

Abstract

Asymmetry analysis was carried out for three bilateral characters of two cichlid fish species, Sarotherodon melanotheron and Coptodon guineensis collected from two localities, Lake Ahémé and Porto-Novo lagoon, Republic of Bénin, West Africa. For both S. melanotheron and C. guineensis snout length (SL), eye diameter (ED) and number of scales on lateral line (LLS), bilateral asymmetry was higher in the fish specimens collected from Porto-Novo lagoon compared with that of specimens from Lake Ahémé. Bilateral asymmetry in S. melanotheron and C. guineensis increased with the fish size at all localities. The possible causes of bilateral asymmetry in the two cichlid species are discussed in relation to different pollutants in both water bodies.

Keywords: Cichlidae; Environment; Lake Ahémé; Meristic characters; Morphology; Porto Novo Lagoon.

Publication types

Comparative Study

MeSH terms

Animals
Benin
Body Patterning*
Body Size
Cichlids / anatomy & histology*
Cichlids / physiology
Eye / anatomy & histology
Lakes