Morphometric and Meristic Analysis of Tor putitora (Hamilton Buchanan) from Ujh River, Kathua (J&K)

The morphology of fishes has been the major source of information for taxonomic and evolutionary studies. The present communication deals with the taxonomic analysis of Golden Mahseer- Tor putitora, collected from river Ujh, a tributary of Ravi in District Kathua, (Jammu & Kashmir). The morphological characters are generally divided into two major categories, the morphometric and the meristic. For morphometric studies the parameters considered were: the total length, standard length, head length, pre-dorsal length, pre-ventral length, pre-anal length, caudal length, snout length, eye diameter and maximum body depth. The growth of parameters were studied in relation to three independent variables, i.e., total length, standard length and the head length. Meristic counts of fin rays and fin spines etc. were also studied.