2.2. Body Measurements

Morphometric measurements were taken by the same person from the left side of the fish, except for the widths and perimeters, following the conventional method described by Diodatti et al. [18]. Animals were measured using an ichthyometer, graduated digital calipers, and tapes with a 0.01 mm precision. A total of twenty-seven morphometric measurements were obtained, using 20 landmarks and 12 meristic counts (Table 1 and Figure 1), in agreement with the methodology used for native species of Ecuador [14,15].

(A) The morphometric measurement records for each analyzed organism (source: own elaboration) and (B) the location of 20 anatomical landmark points¹ designed based on the left view of the Dormitator latrifrons. 1: most cranial point of the upper premaxilla; 2: nape, most caudal point of head; 3: origin of dorsal_1 fin; 4: ending of dorsal_1 fin; 5: origin of dorsal_2 fin; 6: ending of dorsal_2 fin; 7: dorsal origin of caudal fin; 8: ventral origin of caudal fin; 9: ending of anal fin; 10: origin of anal fin; 11: origin of pelvic fin; 12: origin of pectoral fin; 13: most cranial point of caudal peduncle; 14: most caudal point of caudal peduncle; 15: end of operculum; 16: down of operculum; 17: posterior edge of the eye; 18: anterior edge of the eye; 19: commissure of the mouth; 20: most cranial point of the lower premaxilla.

Morphometric measurements and meristic counts of Dormitator latrifrons used in this study.