RT - Journal Article T1 - Validation of two sympatric fish species of Urmia chub, Petroleuciscus ulanus and Urmia bleak, Alburnus atropatenae, based on morphologic characters in Mahabad-Chai River JF - nbr YR - 2022 JO - nbr VO - 8 IS - 4 UR - http://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3444-en.html SP - 289 EP - 296 K1 - taxonomy K1 - allometric K1 - discriminant function analysis K1 - morphology K1 - morphometric traits AB - Atta Mouludi-Saleh1, Soheil Eagderi1, Keyvan Abbasi2 & Manoochehr Nasri3 1Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran; 2Inland Waters Aquaculture Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Sciences Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Bandar Anzali, Iran; 3Department of Fisheries Science and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran Correspondent author: Soheil Eagderi, soheil.eagderi@ut.ac.ir Abstract: Due to the presence of taxonomic ambiguity regarding Petroleuciscus ulanus and Alburnus atropatenae and the tendency to treat them as synonyms of each other, this study was conducted to validate these two species by comparing their morphometric and meristic characters in the Mahabad-Chai River, Urmia Lake basin. A total of 64 specimens of P. ulanus and 68 specimens of A. atropatenae were sampled and were then investigated for 17 morphometric and 7 meristic characters. Measurements were standardized to eliminate the effects of size due to allometric growth pattern, then their normality and abnormality were examined. Standardized data were analyzed using t-test, Mann-Whitney, principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminative function analysis based on P-value of Hotelling's t-test (DFA/Hotelling's T-test) methods. The results showed that the two species were significantly different in 11 morphometric and 2 meristic traits (P<0.05). DFA analysis also showed significance differences between the two studied species. Our results refute the synonymy hypothesis of Petroleuciscus ulanus and Alburnus atropatenae on the basis of morphometric and meristic traits. Therefore, based on the results of this study, the taxonomic identities of these two species are valid. LA eng UL http://nbr.khu.ac.ir/article-1-3444-en.html M3 10.52547/nbr.8.4.289 ER -