Introduction:

The family Bagridae (Type-genus Bagrus Cuvire) comprises catfishes distributed in the Ethiopian, Oriental and Palaearctic region. These are primarily freshwater forms, though some species of Mystus Scopoli were lived in brackish water (1). Fishes of this family have in common with other Silurid barbels and a scaleless body which led earlier workers like (2, 3) to name them as Mystus.

Mystus Scopoli, 1777, is a diverse group of small to medium-sized bagrid catfishes, consist 42 species of the world (4).

Distribution of Mystus pelusius is restricted in middle east: Iran, Iraq and Turkey (4, 5).

In Iraq, pointed out each of (6, 7) to the presence of two species of genus Mystus: Mystus colvillii and M. pelusius both locally called abouz-zoumeir. Previously (8) noted to a presence of M. pelusius only.

The main objective of conducting this research is to enhance taxonomic information about Iraqi fishes, especially due to the lack of studies on the morphometric and meristic characteristics on silurids fish in general and this species in particular, has plans to complete this research and to ensure the presence of one or two species of genus Mystus distributed in the marshes of southern Iraq.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 41 specimens of bagrid fish M. pelusius (Solander, 1794), 136- 208 mm in standard length were collected from Al-Hammar marsh, southern Iraq, (30º40’N and 47º33’E) by gill net during December 2011 till April 2012. Subunits of the head are presented as proportions of head length (HL). Head length and measurements of body parts are given as proportions of standard length (SL). Terminology followed (9, 10), with some modification. Ten specimens were used to calculate the vertebrae after boiling in water and removing the skin and muscles. Common and scientific name of the fish followed(4). All specimens are deposited temporary in the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, College of Agriculture, Basrah University.

Results:

A total of 41 specimens of bagrid fish Mystus pelusius which locally called as abouz-zoumeir were collected from Hammar marsh. Meristic and morphometric characters expressed as percentage of standard length and head length of this species were clarified in tables (1and 2). Table (3) shows the number of vertebrae, as there is 8-12 vertebrae at base of dorsal fin, 24-28 vertebrae before anal fin,16-22 abdominal vertebrae and the total number of vertebrae was 44-46, (fig. 2).

Description: elongate body, rounded anteriorly and compressed posteriorly (fig.1), back oliveous, three white strips are extending longitudinally on both sides of the body, standard length 5.21 time body depth and 4.54 time head length. Tip of pectoral fin reaches beyond the vertical level of the base of 3^rd- 4^th dorsal fin ray, upper lope of caudal fin longer than the lower one, adipose fin base 2.82 ± 0.206 (2.39-3.22) of dorsal fin base. All specimens have four pairs of barbels, maxillary barbels 46.08 (39.34-54.39) very long reach adipose fin base, nasal barbels exceeded the posterior edge of the orbit, outer mental barbels reach pectoral fin base and inner mental barbels were smaller.

Eye diameter 18.04(16.89- 19.45), inter-orbital width 28.75 (27.69- 30.72) snout length 42.41 (38.49- 44.34) pectoral spine length 74.52 (56.12- 83.9) all in percentage of head length. Eye diameter 38.48(42.15 -47.76) in percentage snout length, adipose fin base 27.93 (22.83- 32.27) in percentage of anal fin base. Gill rakers 3,1,10 in the upper, angle and lower limbs of 1^st gill arch.

On 10 April 2014 two specimens (157 and 182 mm TL) were collected from Chibaiesh march (30º 58’N and 47º 05’E) all of morphometric and meristic characteristics agreed with our data but without any strips on the body(fig.3).

Table (1): Meristic characteristics of 41 specimens of Mystus pelusius, collected from Al- Hammar marsh.

Character		Range	Mean	± SD.
Dorsal fin	spine	1-1	1	0
Dorsal fin	rays	6-8	7	0.258
Pectoral fin	spine	1-1	1	0
Pectoral fin	rays	7-9	7.57	0.568
Pelvic fin rays		6-7	6.1	0.305
Anal fin rays		9-12	10.81	0.981
Caudal fin rays		16-20	18.13	1.042
Dorsal fin spine dentation	anterior	1-4	2.4	1.183
Dorsal fin spine dentation	posterior	7-13	9.13	1.847
Pectoral fin spine dentation		15-21	17.33	1.915
Total gill raker		14-14	14	0

Figure (1): Mystus pelusius, TL. 156mm, Hammar marsh (30º40’N ; 47º33’E)), Dec. 2011.

Figure (2): vertebral skeleton of Mystus pelusius, TL. 218mm, Hammar marsh (30º40’N ; 47º33’E)), March 2012.

Table (2): Biometric characteristics of 41 specimens of Mystus pelusius, collected from Al- Hammar marsh.

character	Range	Mean± S.D.
In Standard length
Total length TL	107.1-126.5	121.17 ± 3.97
Standard length SL	136- 208	169.1 ± 16.02
Fork length	103- 111	107 ± 1.7
Body depth	16.9- 21.9	19.23 ± 1. 46
Head width	15.2- 18.4	16.74 ± 0.74
Head length	19.9 -24.6	22.10 ±1.10
Dorsal fin base length	14.3- 16.1	15.02 ± 0.51
Dorsal fin height	17.0 -20.7	18.81 ± 0.13
Post dorsal fin base length	51.9- 63.08	57.054 ± 2.592
Pectoral fin base length	4.0- 6.5	5.28 ± 0. 58
Anal fin base length	9.8- 13.0	11.55 ± 1.06
Anal fin height	9.0- 12.0	10.68 ± 0.8
Pre dorsal fin length	30.3- 35.1	32.72 ± 1.33
inter dorsal - adipoes fin distance	3.7- 6.7	5.61 ± 0.84
Pre pelvic fin length	43.7- 49.4	46.84 ±1. 52
Adipose fin base length	39.3- 45.2	41.87 ±1.94
Post adipose fin distance	7.4 -12.0	10.23 ±1.34
Pectoral-Pelvic fin distance	29.3- 35.0	30.9 ± 1.38
Pelvic- Anal fin distance	17.0- 22.5	19.66 ±1.97
Caudal peduncle length	19.9- 26.2	22.5 ± 1.94
Pre Anal fin length	60.0- 68.5	65.01 ± 2.08
Post anal fin distance	20.1- 26.9	24.73 ± 1.87
Pre Anus length	49.2- 55.1	51.74 ± 1.57
Dorsal – anal fin base distance	30.7- 38.1	33.83 ± 1.89
Pelvic– dorsal fin base distance	13.4- 17.7	14.5 ± 1.17
Pectoral – anal fin base distance	45.3- 52.7	50.03 ± 1.98
Pelvic – anal fin base distance	17.0- 22 .5	19.66 ± 1.97
Anus – anal fin base distance	10.1- 13.9	12.44 ± 1.02
Pectoral – pelvic fin base distance	29.3- 35.0	30.9 ± 1.38
Pectoral – dorsal fin base distance	12.5- 17.7	15.5 ± 1.29
Dorsal spine length	15.09- 21.0	18.16 ± 1.466
Pectoral spine length	13.81- 19.12	16.51 ± 1.477
Maxillary barble	39.34- 54.39	46.08 ± 4.651
Nasal barble	7.51-12.08	9.88 ± 1.171
Check barble (outer barble)	17.89- 26.38	22.08 ± 2.393
Check barble (inner barble)	10.61-16.71	13.35 ±1.656
In Head length
Head length	31.75- 44.09	37.42 ± 3.592
Head width	65.19 -78.2	72.08 ± 3.258
Snout length	38.49- 44.34	42.41 ± 1.234
Post orbital length	42.23- 47.88	45.01 ± 1.579
Eye diameter	16.89- 19.45	18.04 ± 0.726
Inter orbital width	27.69-30.72	28.75±1.708
Dorsal spine length	71.75- 92.18	81.94 ± 5.205
Pectoral spine length	56.12- 83.9	74.52 ± 6.189
Mouth height	31.1- 38.45	34.27 ± 1.903
Mouth width	40.49-47.81	44.14 ± 1.749
Maxillary barble	201.34- 245.83	215.34 ± 13.25
Nasal barble	35.43- 54.2	45.49± 5.073
Check barble (outer barble)	100.28- 128.0	106.69± 6.049
Check barble (inner barble)	50.04- 68.32	59.25 ± 5.807

Table (3): Number of vertebrae of different parts of. M. pelusius.

The parts	Range of vertebrae	Mean ± SD
Basal dorsal fin vertebrae	8 - 12	9.72 ± 0.702
Basal anal fin vertebrae	6 – 9	7.38 ± 0.82
Pre dorsal fin vertebrae	4 – 6	4.68 ± 0.99
Post dorsal fin vertebrae	3 – 4	3.07 ± 0.258
Pre anal fin vertebrae	24 – 28	25.45 ± 1.242
Post anal fin vertebrae	11 – 14	12.24 ± 0.577
Adipose fin vertebrae	21 – 25	23.21 ± 1.292
Post adipose fin vertebrae	3 – 5	4.17 ± 0.468
Pre pelvic fin vertebrae	12 – 19	15.86 ± 1.529
Abdominal vertebrae	16 -22	19.28 ± 1.846
Caudal vertebrae	24 – 28	25.79 ± 1.449
Total vertebrae	44 – 46	45.04 ± 0.906

Figure (3): Mystus pelusius, TL. 157mm, Chebaiesh marsh (30º 58’N and 47º 05’E), Aprill 2014.

Discussion:

Mystus halepensis colvillii (11) describes from a specimen 150.0 mm TL collected from the Tigris River, Baghdad. illustration and description it is seen that the fish has a deep body, adipose fin about three time as long as dorsal fin base commencing almost immediately behind the dorsal fin rays and the body without any stripes or bands. While present specimens which collected from Hammar marsh, have three white strips extending longitudinal on both sides of the body, adipose fin base 2.82 (2.39 – 3.22) as long as dorsal fin, inter dorsal - adipose fin distance 5.61(3.7 – 6.7).

Identified one specimen caught from Antioche Lake, Syria and erroneously referred it as M. pelusius pelusius. (9) described Mystus misrai had body depth (19.22-22.99), head length (22.40- 23.85), head width (16.33-17.98), length of dorsal spine (12.10-16.00) while M. pelusius had 16.9 – 21.9; 19.9 – 24.6; 15.2 – 18.4; 15.09 – 21 for above character respectively, these measurements are compatible between the two species and that M. pelusius had longer dorsal spine (12).

Table (4) showed comparison between M. pelusius and M. halepensis colvillii, the later have lower body depth and eye diameter while dorsal spine length and inter orbital width higher. M. pelusius have higher body depth and eye diameter in comparison with Mystus misrai while dorsal and pectoral spines lower. The other characters it compatible more or less to those in the other species.

M. pelusius had dorsal fin containing one spine and 7-rays, standard length of about 5.5 times of the body depth and 4.5 times the length of the head, adipose fin three times the length of the base of the dorsal fin, these characters agree with our results 5.29 (4.65-6.26), 4.52 (3.97 - 5.02), 2.82 (2.39- 3.22) respectively. (7)

Maximum length of M. pelusius was 208 mm SL as longer as 171.2 mm (5) and 178 mm (4).

Species contain: Mystus and pelusius (including names unavailable) are six (Macrones aleppensis, M. colvillii, Bagrus halepensis, Mystus misrai, M. halepensis colvillii and Silurus pelusius) all of them synonyms with the valid Mystus pelusius. (4, 5)

The last paragraph correspond to present results that the species showed above are a synonym due to the measurements and studied characters fall within the ranges of our measurements of M. pelusius. This documented that one species of the family Bagridae (M. pelusius) was distributed in Iraqi inland water (marsh, southern Iraq).

Table (4): Comparison of Mystus halepensis colvillii Hora and Misra (1943), Mystus p. pelusius Jararam (1974), Mystus misrai Anuradha (1986) and Mystus pelusius.

Character	*Mystus halepensis colvilli* Hora and Misra (1943)	*Mystus p.pelusius* Jararam (1974)	*Mystus misrai* Anurdha (1986)	*Mystus pelusius. Present study*
Total length	150.0	-	146.4 (141.4 - 152.2)	203.59 (158 – 238)
Standard length	125.0	116	118.8 (115.7 - 123.1)	168.91 (136 – 208)
Total length/ body depth	5.77	-	5.95 (5.32 - 6.44)	6.29 (4.94 – 7.48)
Total length/ head length	5.36	-	5.34 (5.12 - 5.47)	5.48 (4.76 - 5.48)
Standard length/ head length	4.46	4.14	4.33 (4.19 - 4.42)	4.54 (3.97 - 5.02)
Standard length/ body depth	4.81	4.83	4.82 (4.35 - 5.20)	5.21 (4.57 - 6.26)
Standard length/ head width	5.90	4.73	5.74 (5.56 - 5.92)	5.98 (5.44 - 6.59)
Snout length/ inter-orbital width	1.53	-	1.33 (1.31 - 1.35)	1.41 (1.29 -1.51)
Head length/ inter-orbital width	3.73	-	3.19 (3.12 - 3.27)	3.48 (3.25 - 3.61)
Head length/ dorsal spine	1.40	1.87	1.83 (1.77 - 1.87)	1.22 (1.08 - 1.39)
Head length/pectoral spine	1.38	1.65	1.54 (1.53 – 1.55)	1.35 (1.19 - 1.78)
Head length/snout length	2.43	-	2.40 (2.36 – 2.42)	2.36 (2.12 - 2.7)
Head length/dorsal fin base length	1.56	-	1.61 (1.55 – 1.70)	1.49 (1.28 - 1.68)
Head length/eye diameter	4.67	-	5.44 (5.25 – 5.63)	5.55 (5.14 - 5.92)
Snout length/ eye diameter	1.92	-	2.27 (2.18 – 2.33)	2.36 (2.09 - 2.6)
Inter-orbital width/ eye diameter	1.25	-	1.71 (1.61 – 1.78)	1.41 (1.20 – 1.69)

References:

1. Jayaram, K. C. (1955). A preliminary review of the family Bagridae (Pisces: Siluroidea). http://www.new1.dli.ernet.in /data1/ 1/20005- b6a_120. 21, B.3: 120-128.

2. Artedi, P. (1738) Synonymia nominum piscium fere omnium; in qua recensio fit nominum piscium, omnium facile authorum, qui undam de piscibus scripsere: uti Graecorum, Romanorum, Barbarorum, nec non omnium insequentium ichthyologorum, una cum nominibus inquilinis variarum nationum. Ichthyologiae pars 4. Conradus Wishoff, Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden] (Conradus Wishoff), i + 118 pp. + i–xxi.

3. Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiae (L. Salvius), ii + 824 pp.

4. Froese, R. and Pauly. D. Eds. (2016). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication.www.fishbase.org.

5. Coad, B.W. (2010). Freshwater fishes of Iraq. Pensoft Publ., Moscow: 274pp. + 16pls.

6. Georg, P.V. (1969). A systematic list of the vertebrates of Iraq. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. Univ. Baghdad. Publ. No. 26, 105 pp.

7. Al-Daham, N. K. (1977). Fish of Iraq and the Arab Gulf. Center Arab Gulf Studies Publications (9). Al- Irshad Press, Baghdad, Vol. (1). 546pp

8. Khalaf, K.T. (1961). The marine and fresh water fishes of Iraq. Univ. Baghdad. Al-Rabitta Press. 164pp.

9. Anuradha, S. (1986) Contributions to the Study of Bagrid Fishes. 19. Systematic position of Macrones halepensis colvillii Hora and Misra, 1943, with description of a new species (Siluriformes, Bagridae). Revue Suisse De Zoologie 93: 291-296.

10. Ng, H.H. and Dodson, J.J. (1999). Morphological and genetic descriptions of a new species of catfish, Hemibagrus chrysops, from Sarawak, East Malaysia, with an assessment of phylogenetic relationships (Teleostei: Bagridae). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 47, 45–57.

11. Hora, S. I. and Misra, K.C. (1943). On a small collection of fish from Iraq. J. R. asiat. Soc. Beng. 9(1): 1-15.

12. Jayaram, K.C. (1974). Contributions to the Study of Bagrid Fishes. 11. Designation of a Lectotype for Macrones argentivittatus Regan with notes on some Bagrid species in the collections of the Natural History Museum, Geneve. Revue. Suisse. Zool., 81: 785-790.

13. Eschmeyer WN. (Ed), (2014). Catalog of fishes. Available at:http:// research. calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/ fishcatmain. asp. Accessed 18 June 2014.

Received on 31.07.2016 Modified on 23.08.2016

Research J. Science and Tech. 2016; 8(4):185-189.

DOI: 10.5958/2349-2988.2016.00027.9

Basal dorsal fin vertebrae

8 - 12

9.72 ± 0.702

Basal anal fin vertebrae

6 – 9

7.38 ± 0.82

Pre dorsal fin vertebrae

4 – 6

4.68 ± 0.99

Post dorsal fin vertebrae

3 – 4

3.07 ± 0.258

Pre anal fin vertebrae

24 – 28

25.45 ± 1.242

Post anal fin vertebrae

11 – 14

12.24 ± 0.577

Adipose fin vertebrae

21 – 25

23.21 ± 1.292

Post adipose fin vertebrae

3 – 5

4.17 ± 0.468

Pre pelvic fin vertebrae

12 – 19

15.86 ± 1.529

Abdominal vertebrae

16 -22

19.28 ± 1.846

Caudal vertebrae

24 – 28

25.79 ± 1.449

Total vertebrae

44 – 46

45.04 ± 0.906