First record for the sunfish Mola mola (Molidae: Tetradontiformes) from the Egyptian coasts, Aqaba Gulf, Red Sea, with notes on morphometrics and levels of major skeletal components

A. Amer, Mohamed; El-Sadek, Ahmed; Fathallah, Ahmed; A. Omar, Hamdy; M. Eltoutou, Mohamed

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2019.33933

First record for the sunfish Mola mola (Molidae: Tetradontiformes) from the Egyptian coasts, Aqaba Gulf, Red Sea, with notes on morphometrics and levels of major skeletal components

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejabf.2019.33933

Abstract

The sunfish Mola mola is recorded for the first time from the Egyptian waters at Abu Galum Protectorate Area (South Sinai), Aqaba Gulf, Red Sea. The present study conducted to give information on morphometric characters, anatomy and levels of major elements in skull, vertebrae and paraxial parts of its skeletal system. These elements comprised Ca, P, Na, K, Mg, S, Cl, Zn and Cu and their levels were estimated. The results exhibited that Ca and P were the main components in skull and were the most dominant elements in paraxial skeleton in addition to remarkable ratios of Na and Cl. Cu was detected with very low ratios only in paraxial skeleton parts. The annuli in examined vertebrae were counted and showed that, this fish may be in its second age group.

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