The Survey Morphometric and Meristic of (Clupeidae) Alosa in Gillan Province coastal waters

Present study is part of the identification and determination of Clupeidae (Genus Alosa), in the southern area of the Caspian sea, off coastal waters in the Gillan Province during 1997_ 98. Total of 132 specimens were sampled.Morphometric _ merestic parameters such as Gill rakers and ratio of eye to head length, etc. were used for the species identification purpose.Three species of Clupeidae, namely as: Alosa brashnikovi (Borodin, 1904), A. kessleri (Grimm, 1887) and A. caspia (Eichwald, 1938). Results showed that A. brashnikovi had 22_49 with average of 36/6±5/41, A. caspia had 74_128 with average of 106/3 ± 14/96, and A. kessleri had 49_ 73 with average of 58/5 ±10/5 percent Gill rakers.Results also indicated that the ratio of eye to head length for A. brashnikovi was between 15/91 _21/88 with average of 18/53 ± 1/03 percent for A. caspia was between 19/38 _24/30 with average of 22/48 ± 1/34 percent, and finally for A. kessleri was between 17/75 _ 22/4 with average of 20/88 ± 1/54 percent.