Directional Bilateral Asymmetry in Fish Otolith: A Potential Tool to Evaluate Stock Boundaries?

The otolith, found in both inner ears of bony fish, has mainly been used to estimate fish age. Another application that developing significantly recent years, however, is the use otolith shape as a tool for stock identification. Often, studies have directly asymmetry between right and left otoliths. We tested magnitude directional sagittal otoliths (left vs. right) 2991 individuals according their catch locations, we selected species evaluate whether may itself be boundaries. Elliptical Fourier descriptors were describe shape. flatfish, common sole (Solea solea, n = 2431), from eastern English Channel southern North Sea well roundfish, bogue (Boops boops, 560), Mediterranean Sea. Both showed significant levels testing locations. only 5 out 11 with substantial separation two large areas: Algerian coast western part Italian coast. analysis (3.84–6.57%), suggesting French parts Consequently, bilateral potential new method