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First evidence of otolith abnormalities in Belone belone from the Sea of Marmara: An integrative approach to morphological deformities with light and scanning electron microscopy Cover

First evidence of otolith abnormalities in Belone belone from the Sea of Marmara: An integrative approach to morphological deformities with light and scanning electron microscopy

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies
Volume 54 (2025): Issue 3 (September 2025)
By: Derya Bostancı and  Serdar Yedier  
Open Access
|Sep 2025

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Sampling area from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara (Türkiye).
Sampling area from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara (Türkiye).

Figure 2

Otolith morphometric and morphological characteristics of Belone belone.
Otolith morphometric and morphological characteristics of Belone belone.

Figure 3

Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the normal left (A) and right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the normal left (C) and right (D) otoliths of the 38.1 cm TL female Belone belone of a specimen from the Darıca coast in Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. A: Anterior; P: Posterior; V: Ventral; D: Dorsal. Purple Arrows: canal. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.
Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the normal left (A) and right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the normal left (C) and right (D) otoliths of the 38.1 cm TL female Belone belone of a specimen from the Darıca coast in Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. A: Anterior; P: Posterior; V: Ventral; D: Dorsal. Purple Arrows: canal. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.

Figure 4

Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 25.9 cm TL male Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, and Pink: fragment losses, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.
Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 25.9 cm TL male Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, and Pink: fragment losses, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.

Figure 5

Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 39.8 cm TL female Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, and Pink: fragment losses, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.
Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 39.8 cm TL female Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, and Pink: fragment losses, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.

Figure 6

Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 39.0 cm TL female Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.
Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 39.0 cm TL female Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.

Figure 7

Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 44.2 cm TL male Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, and Pink: fragment losses, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.
Light microscope images of the lateral surfaces of the left (A) and the right (B) otoliths and SEM images of the lateral surfaces of the left (C) and the right (D) otoliths of the 44.2 cm TL male Belone belone specimen from the Darıca coast in the Sea of Marmara, Türkiye. Arrows indicate for Yellow: aragonite part, Green vaterite part, Red: depressions, Blue: protrusions, and Pink: fragment losses, D: Dorsal; V: Ventral; P: Posterior; A: Anterior. SEM, scanning electron microscopy; TL, total length.

Basic measurements of Belone belone samples collected from the Darıca coast (Sea of Marmara, Türkiye) and comparisons of their abnormal and normal otolith morphometric data

W (g)TL (cm)SexSideOtolith Weight (g)Otolith Area (mm2)Otolith Perimeter (mm)Otolith Length (mm)Otolith Width (mm)
Abnormal Samples19.225.9♂Left0.00163.20198.08202.77291.6094
Right0.00192.97837.27692.70361.5305
69.439.0♀Left0.00335.403911.17673.85322.1196
Right0.00375.282710.81743.90541.9942
69.639.8♀Left0.00506.352512.36904.12052.2615
Right0.00525.611011.34663.91152.1118
115.844.2♂Left0.00847.611512.43904.23902.4191
Right0.00797.675612.56024.37662.3989
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26881/oahs-2025.1.18 | Journal eISSN: 1897-3191 | Journal ISSN: 1730-413X
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Language: English
Page range: 227 - 247
Submitted on: Jun 23, 2025
Accepted on: Jul 31, 2025
Published on: Sep 19, 2025
Published by: University of Gdańsk
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year
Keywords:
abnormal otolith,
crystal polymorphism,
mucilage pollution,
microscopic analysis,
environmental stress
Related subjects:
Chemistry,
Chemistry, other,
Geosciences,
Geosciences, other,
Life sciences,
Life sciences, other

© 2025 Derya Bostancı, Serdar Yedier, published by University of Gdańsk
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

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