Morphometric variations and genetic analysis of lessepsian migrant Octopus aegina (Cephalopoda : Octopodidae)‎

الملخص EN

The taxonomic status of Octopus aegina in Suez Canal, Gulf of Suez (north of the Red Sea) and Mediterranean Seawas elucidated by morphological analysis.

Samples were collected seasonally from March 2009 till May 2010.

Length weight relationships resulted in that O.

aegina exhibits different growth pattern between the three studied sites.

Twenty one morphometric indices were used to distinguish the three populations.

Independent sample t-test revealed that in the three sites most of the indices are not significantly differed between males and females.While, one Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that all measured morphometric indices of O.

aegina are significantly differed between the three studied sites.

The morphometric differences between the three populations are most probably due to differences in environmental conditions and resources availability.

The genetic evidence indicates that Lessepsian migrant (Octopus sp.) is Octopus aegina.