Some of the Biological Aspects of the Brushtooth Lizardfish Saurida undosquamis (Richardson, 1848) Collected from the Commercial Markets of Port Said Governorate, Egypt

Saurida undosquamis is a globally dispersed species. It is a well-known commercial species belonging to the Synodontidae family from the Red Sea and Suez Gulf of Egypt. 200 samples were collected from commercial markets in Port-Said, Egypt. After species identification, the morphometric characteristics were estimated for each sample. The length-weight relationship and Fulton condition factor were also calculated. Moreover, after fish dissection, the internal organs were removed to measure the organosomatic indicators, and the fish gut length was measured to be compared with its total length. The contents of the stomach were classified to calculate the percentage of each type to detect the feeding habit of these fish. Finally, samples of the internal organs were prepared for the histological sections. The morphometric data revealed that S. undosquami had canines found in two rows. The total and standard-length averages were 24.94± 1.64 and 21.41± 0.34cm, respectively. The growth pattern of the examined fish is a negative allometric pattern. Both sexes were in good health, as the Fulton factor was more than one. The highest organ ratios were recorded for the hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indices. The most abundant food content in the stomach was fish. The histological sections reflected the similarities between S. undosquami and the other teleosts recorded in the previous study. In conclusion, the biological knowledge about lizardfish in Port Said Governorate provided by this study helped to afford the required information to support the resource's utilization. There is a need for further investigations that link more between these different biological parameters concerning environmental conditions.