Morphological variability in a Mediterranean, genetically homogeneous population of the European anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus

A comprehensive morphometric and meristic analysis was carried out on seven anchovy samples taken from locations representative of the species distribution range in the north-western Mediterranean, a region inhabited by a single, genetically homogenous population of this species. Multivariate analyses performed separately on both sets of morphological data evidenced extreme variability among samples, In the case of morphometric data, a meaningful geographical pattern was entirely lacking. The morphological variation detected appeared to have a predominantly environmental basis. Besides, morphometric and meristic data indicated different levels of interaction between the biology of the species and its environment. In light of these results, the author advises that morphological information be used to study the biology of species from a dynamic viewpoint. but warns against the use of such data in studies on population structure in the classic sense. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.