Vaishnavi Patil, Vivek Nirmale, Ravindra Pawar, Ravindra Pawar, Santosh Metar, Gajanan Ghode, Vidhi Eriyatharayil

Stock discrimination of Indian sand whiting Sillago sihama (Forsskal, 1775) using truss morphometry along the Maharashtra and Goa coasts of India

Introduction

Stock discrimination of indian sand whiting sillago sihama (forsskal, 1775) using truss morphometry along the maharashtra and goa coasts of india. Discover distinct morphometric stocks of Indian sand whiting (Sillago sihama) along Maharashtra & Goa coasts using truss analysis. Key for sustainable fisheries management.

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the stock structure of Sillago sihama (Forsskal, 1775) along the Maharashtra and Goa coasts using truss morphometric analysis. A total of 180 specimens were collected from six locations including Satpati, Mumbai, Harnai, Ratnagiri, Malvan, and Panaji between September 2024 and May 2025.Twenty truss distances, generated from ten anatomical landmarks, were subjected to statistical analyses comprising ANOVA, MANOVA, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) to assess morphometric variation among populations. Nineteen out of twenty morphometric traits showed significant variation among locations. PCA revealed that most variation was concentrated in the caudal and dorsal regions, while DFA correctly classified 78.9% of specimens, with 70.6% accuracy in cross-validation. The distinct clustering patterns suggest the presence of multiple morphometric stocks. These results highlight the presence of significant morphological variability among S. sihama populations and underscore the effectiveness of truss morphometry in stock discrimination for sustainable fisheries management. Keywords: Anatomical landmarks, DFA, Fisheries management, Morphometric traits, PCA, Populations, Truss distances

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