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Abstract.- A report on fin anomaly in thinlip mullet fish, Liza ramada was firstly described in one specimen caught from Homa Lagoon, Aegean Sea. The anomalous specimen showed the initial six rays of upper and lower lobes in the caudal fin and all the pelvic fin rays to have lengthened. Fin rays did not significantly vary in number, while considerable variations were established among some morphometric values comparing the meristic aspects of normal with those of abnormal specimens. Finally, we conclude that the anomaly may have resulted from domestic and industrial chemicals discharged into the area.
Key words: Fin anomaly, Liza ramada, Environmental pollution, Homa Lagoon, Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea.
A total of 8915 tonnes of mullet was caught in Turkish seas, with 5538 tonnes and 1764 tonnes being harvested from the Black Sea and Aegean Sea, respectively (Anonymous, 2006) . In one of the most significant fisheries areas in the Aegean Sea, Izmir Bay is composed of three sections by their physical features, namely the outer, the middle and the inner bays; and mullet harvest is the leading process in commercial value and annual catching performance. All fisheries activities are prohibited in the inner bay which has been severely exposed to the pollution caused by domestic and industrial wastes dumped into it. Thicklip grey mullet Chelon labrosus (Risso, 1827), Golden grey mullet Liza (Risso, 1810), Leaping mullet Liza saliens (Risso, aurata (Risso, 1810), Thinlip mullet Liza ramada 1810), Flathead mullet Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 and So-iuy mullet Mugil soiuy Basilewsky, 1855 (Bilecenoglu et al., 2002).
The study is of great interest because it has established that such a morphological modification in an individual of the species consumed in and around Izmir accounted for by domestic and/or industrial pollution as well as an increase of similar anomalies could constitute a long term risk factor for human health. Accordingly, we compared meristic and morphometric characteristics of an individual having fin differentiation with those of the normal specimen of the same species and examine the factors likely to account for the concerned anomaly in the L. ramada specimen.
Materials and methods Located on 38º33'28'' north latitude and on the 26º50'42'' east longitude, the Homa Lagoon is currently the largest and only active area to harvest fish around...