Morphological Variations in Relation to Geographical Distribution of Pond Smelt, Hypomesus olidus Pallas

The authors made an investigation concerning the geographical distribution and some major differentiations in morphological characteristics associated with the each habitat, of the pond smelt, Hypomesus olidus, which was introduced into Korea more than 50 years ago. Major characteristics utilized for the comparison study were upper jaw (maxillary), number of fin rays, scale structure, vertebral count, number of pyloric caeca, number of gill rakers, and the relative measurements of these and other internal characters. 1. The main areas of natural distribution are Paro Lake, Soyang Lake, Han River, Euirim Lake, and Ogjeong Lake (or Unam Lake) and the tributaries of these waters. 2. Morphological variations varied when the mean values of measurements from each area were compared with the standard measurement value by mosaic comparison, and in some instances a significant variation was found. 3. The most significant variations were found in the number of fin rays of pectoral and anal fins; the lengths from the tip of snout to the origin of pectoral fin, from snout to ventral fin, and from snout to anal fin, relative to standard body length; eye depth relative to head length; upper jaw: the number of pyloric caeca and the scale structure. Variations, on the other hand, by each habitat were not clear in the numbers of ventral and dorsal fin rays, gill rakers, vertebrae and lateral line scale : and the depth of caudal peduncle and distance from the tip of snout to the origin of dorsal fin relative to standard body length. 4. The scales of pond smelt showed some differences in the shape of scales, the shape and position of the focus and the number of ridges according to the scale positions on the body. No radii were present. The relations between longitudinal and transverse diameters of the scale suggest that the pond smelts of Soyang Lake and Un-am Lake are closely related, and those of Han River and Euirim Lake are also closely related. 5. The geographical variations in morphology of the pond smelt seem to have resulted from the variations in turbidity, water temperature, salinity (rather conductivity) and currents. 6. From the results obtained, it may be concluded that such factors as supramaxillary, relation between scale length and its breadth, number of caudal vertebrae and eye depth relative to head length may be used as the key characters for the classification of geographical varieties of Pond smelt.