Morphological characteristics of lapillus and aging of Plicofollis dussumieri (Ruppell, 1837) from Oman Sea

In this paper age determination and morphological characteristics of blacktip catfish, Plicofollis dussumieri, from Oman Sea were evaluated. A total of 132 fish specimens were collected from fishing trawlers or landings from March 2011 to July 2012, with minimum and maximum of 245 mm, 195 g; and 767 mm, 5801 g, respectively. Maximum life span was 12 years for the length range of 245 – 767 mm FL, while total body weight (BW) ranged between 195 and 5801 g and the resultant equation was: W = 0.040 L2.8275 (R2 = 0.99). High correlation coefficient value found between age and FL was R= 0.97 and for age-BW was 0.94. This value for otolith weight and BW was estimated to be 0.91 and showing that there were significant correlations between measured parameters. Lapillus otolith in blacktip catfish is the biggest otolith among most teleostei fishes, also the Sagitta is the biggest. Lapillus of this species is round, robust, onion-like and without sulcus curve, with no obvious growth increments in rostrum and antirostrum zones. In ventral side Gibbus maculae is concave having prominentia marginalis in anterior and basal line in posterior parts.