The investigation presents a pragmatic methodology for assessing camels based on morphometric characteristics, body scores, and genomic information. The study comprised 87 dairy camels, including 62 Pakistani and 25 Iranian she-camels, which were assessed by three experts using 23 morphometric measurements, with scores out of 100 being awarded. In addition, genetic evaluation was conducted using markers associated with growth traits, with 60 SNPs being genotyped in 22 elite male calves. Pin width, depth, and chest circumference were found to be significantly greater in Pakistani she-camels (mean body score of 76.71 ± 12.31) compared to Iranian she-camels (mean body score of 57.12 ± 10.03) (p<0.05). The two she-camel groups were separated into distinct clusters based on principal component analysis of the morphometric characteristics. Moreover, the genetic analysis of SNPs (25% of the investigated records) confirmed that genetic differentiation between the two groups in terms of growth traits was significantly different (p<0.05). As a practical approach, the male calves were first evaluated based on maternal body score and milk ability; they were then evaluated based on growth-related SNPs. The findings suggest that morphometric data and body scores can be a suitable approach for evaluating dromedaries for milk production in extensive and semi-extensive systems. Additionally, the selection of male camels based on genetic markers related to growth traits can be effective due to natural mating.

Data collected in 2012 on 400 chickens were subjected to two-way analyses of variance to estimate body weight, morphometric traits as well as the correlation between body weight and morphometric traits in Isa Brown and Ilorin ecotype chickens. The studied morphometric traits were comb length, beak length, head length, neck length, body length, wing length, shank length, thigh length, toe length, breast length, and breast breadth. The results showed that genotype, sex and genotype × sex interaction significantly (P<0.05) affect body weight and morphometric trait measurements. Isa Brown chicken had a significantly higher (P<0.05) matured body weight than Ilorin ecotype birds. Isa Brown birds had higher (P<0.05) morphometric traits than Ilorin ecotype birds except for toe length. Male birds had higher body weight (P<0.05) and were also higher in most of the morphometric trait measurements than female birds. Interactions between genotype and sex were significant (P<0.05) for body weight and morphometric traits, except for breast length and breast breadth. Morphometric traits measured in young birds were significantly (P<0.05) correlated with body weight (0.68-0.95) except for wing length in Isa Brown and breast length in Ilorin ecotype chicken. Correlations between body weight and morphometric traits in adult Isa Brown birds were higher (0.27-0.95) than correlations between body weight and morphometric traits in Ilorin ecotype chicken (0.02-0.91). A significant negative correlation was obtained between body weight and beak length (-0.72) in Isa Brown and between body weight and wing length (-0.35) in Ilorin ecotype chicken. Morphometric traits measured on male birds were more highly correlated with body weight (0.68-0.95) than in female chickens, except for breast breadth. The present study showed that the two genotypes could be adequately characterised using morphometric indices. The study further revealed that morphometric indices like body length and comb length can be adequately used to predict body weight of birds in the two genotypes. However, the negative correlation obtained between body weight and wing length in Ilorin ecotype chicken requires further investigation to determine its basis for chicken adaptation.

Forty fishes of a recently described species, Alburnoides petrubanarescui, from Orumiyeh Lake basin were investigated based on morphometric and meristic characteristics. Twenty three morphometric traits including total length, standard length, fork length, body depth and sixteen meristic traits including Dosal fin rays, Anal fin rays, Ventral fin rays, Pectoral fin rays, number of Lateral line scales and total vertebrae were surveyed. Age using annual growth circles of scales and weight were also determined. Excel 2007 and SPSS 18 were applied for statistical analyses. Pearson and spearman correlation coefficients were respectively used to determine the correlation between Morphometric and Meristic traits and also the correlation of age with standard length. Total length, standard length, fork length and body depth were 56.76±7.78 (mm), 47.40±6.91 (mm), 53.0 5±7.53 (mm), 11.90±1.97 respectively. About meristic traits, Dorsal fin rays, Anal fin rays, Ventral fin rays, Pectoral fin rays, number of Lateral line scales and total vertebrae were 7-8 (7.28±0.45), 8-10 (9.1 3±0.72), 6-7 (6.55±0.50), 13-15 (14.0 8±0.92), 43-51 (48.93±2.44) and 40-41 (40.50±0.51) respectively. Weight and age of fishes were determined 0.70-5.80 (1.73±0.99) gram and from +1 to+3 years, respectively. All morphometric traits showed significant correlation (0.05) with standard length. There was no significant correlation between meristic traits and standard length except for Scale below Lateral line, Predorsal scales and Caudal vertebrae (0.05).

Iranian wolf is found in different habitats of Iran and possesses different morphological characteristics with respect to its cranium shape based on its distribution. This study was conducted to investigate the allometric growth and geometric changes of cranium in relation to its growth. A total of 35 skulls were collected from different regions and divided into two groups (adult and subadult). Seventeen angles that were drown by joining the measuring points on the whole, neurocranium, and viscerocranium. The correlation between skull index and angle measurements were analyzed in three categories. The decreasing of angles among dorsal face point on the external occipital crest, junction on the median plane of the right and left nasofrontal sutures, the most lateral point of the zygomatic arch and anterior end of the interincisive suture located between the roots of the upper central incisor teeth showed width of the skull increased more than the skull length with age, therefore, skull index increased with age. Results of geometry surveys showed that cranial width did not increase as much compared to the length of neurocranium length. Therefore, the angles of this section increased with age. Also, viscerocranium width increased more than viscerocranium length and the skull became widened with age.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphometric and reproductive traits of indigenous dairy goat types. It was conducted in three districts (Ebnat, Gonji-kolela and Farta) based on the agro-ecological differences, goat population potentials and experience of the farmers using goat milk. Semi-structured ques-tionnaires, field observations, morphological and reproductive trait measurements were used. The results revealed that the average age at sexual maturity of male in Farta district, (Mean±SE) was 7.04 ± 0.41 months. However, age at first service of male goats was longer in Gonji kolela (9.84±0.95) and Ebnat (11.54±1.28) districts. The average body length (BL) for dairy, dual and meat type goats were 59.65 ± 0.58, 54.87 ± 0.69 and 55.52 ± 0.74 cm. The mean rear udder length, udder circumference and teat length were 17.14 ± 0.28, 31.39 ± 0.59 and 3.71 ± 0.07 cm, 14.21 ± 0.48, 26.75 ± 1.01 and 3.41 ± 0.12 cm and 13.44 ± 0.38, 24.67 ± 0.81 and 3.01 ± 0.09 cm, respectively. Whereas, the mean rear udder diameter for dairy, dual and meat types for female goats were 10.04 ± 0.22, 8.66 ± 0.37 and 8.01 ± 0.30 cm, respectively. Dairy type female goats had significantly higher (P<0.001) values for all udder and teat measurements than dual and meat type female goats. In conclusion, goat breeding and reproduction was not identified as dairy, meat and dual purpose types and there is no specialized dairy goat breeding, reproduction with corresponding produc-tion system. Therefore, evaluation of morphometric and reproductive traits of indigenous dairy type goats with specialized and intensive production system are crucial to increase the milk production and productiv-ity.

This study aimed to compare meristic and morphometric traits of three species of the genus Acanthobrama from Iranian inland waters collected during 2011-2017. A total 68 specimens of A. marmid from the Gamasiab River, Tigris river drainage, 85 specimens of A. microlepis from the Aras and Sefid rivers, Caspian Sea basin, and 90 specimens of A. urmianus from Mahabad-Chai and Godar-Chai rivers, Lake Urmia basin were captured by beach seine and electrofishing device. After anesthesia, the collected specimens were fixed into 10% buffered formalin and were transferred to the laboratory for further studies. Six meristic and 16 morphometric characters were counted and measured. The results showed a significant difference between the studied species in all morphometric traits except the pectoral fin length (P<0. 05). In the cluster analysis, A. microlepis and A. urmianus were positioned in a clade. A significant difference found between the studied species in terms of the meristic traits, including the lateral line scales, dorsal-fin unbranched and branched rays, and Anal-fin branched rays (P<0. 05). MANOVA/CVA indicated that A. urmianus differed from A. microlepis in terms of the meristic traits. Also A. microlepis was positioned in a clade based on the result of meristic traits cluster analysis.

Aims: In the present study, the morphometric and meristic traits of Alburnus chalcoides from the Chelvand (Astara), Khalesara (Talesh), Siahdarvishan (Anzali wetland), Sefid and Pol (Guilan Province), Tonekabon and Babol (Mazandaran Province) rivers were compared. Materials & Methods: For this purpose, a total of 170 specimens were collected from above-mentioned rivers. In the Lab some 39 morphometric and 10 meristic traits were recorded. All data were analyzed by using One-Way ANOVA, Duncan test, Kruskal-Wallis, principal component analysis (PCA), canonical variate analysis (CVA) and cluster analysis. Finding: The results showed a significant difference in 36 morphometric and five meristic traits among the studied populations. CVA result separated the studied populations in the southern parts of the Caspian Sea basin. Also, cluster analysis placed the Chelvand River population in a distinct clade. Conclusion: This study showed high diversity of morphometric compared to meristic traits and better performance of these traits in population's distinction.

The objective of the present study was to characterize the growth pattern of morphometric traits of Isfahan native chickens. For conducting this research, 200 (112 males and 88 females) of Isfahan native chickens were reared for 12 weeks. At day 1, each chicken was weighed and marked with color plastic tags attached on the one leg and then weighed weekly. At weeks 3, 6, 9 and 12 morphometric traits such as breast width and length, thigh diameter and length, shank diameter and its length were measured. Flexible growth and fixed point of inflection functions were evaluated for their ability to describe the relationship between morphometric traits and age. Three non-linear growth functions (Gompertz, Logestic and Richards), were used for this purpose. Based on models fitting criteria and statistical parameters, all three models gave a good fit to the data (r2adj≤ 0. 90), but the Gompertz function gave the best fit to the data. The results indicated that male broilers had a higher final body size than the females. In general, males had higher asymptotic body size and lower growth rate than females. Females reached to maximum growth rate faster than males and had a lower body size in the inflection point. The correlation between body weight and morphometric traits at week 12 for both sexes were positive and significant (p < 0. 05) and the correlation values were moderate to high (0. 03

Shirbot is a commercially valuable fish and biological attributes of it is crucial for achieving a suitable technique of breeding, so a survey was conducted on spring of 1999 upon 72 specimens in Dalaki River, located on Boushehr province (south of Iran).Specimens belonged to three age group: 1+, 2+, 3+, and in both sexes, 2+ was the most abundant. meristic traits including dorsal fin ray, anal fin ray pectoral fin ray, ventral fin ray, anterior gill rakers, posterior gill rakers, number of barbels and the average length of one of them, the number of lateral line scales, the number of predorsal scale, the number of caudal peduncle scale were examined. Morphometric measurements was calculated as the ratio of standard length including: The ratio of standard length to head length, to body depth, to pectoral fin length, to ventral fin length, to predorsal length and the ratio of head length to snout length, to pectoral fin length, to ventral fin length.The smallest as well as the largest specimen were males with the length of 68 and 264 mm respectively. Growth model studied separately among females and males. In females growth was positive allometric, (b=3.27), and in males growth was negative allometric, (b=1.7). RLG indicates the feeding regimes of fishes and was estimated in this survey. Barbus is an omnivorous fish with regard to the result of RLG and this indicator reduced in both sexes as long as they were growing and reflects changes in the feeding strategy into carnivorous. GSI was increased as the age goes up, but the rate of increasing was higher in males. In contrast to males, females were getting mature in age 3+. Condition factor was increased in males and no change in females. Moment growth coefficient was higher in females and in both groups of ages, 2+ & 3+ was higher than in 1+ & 2+.

In this paper, both of growth and size structure of a population of C. fossarum are studied for the first time. The average sizes of females were significantly higher than those in males (P<0. 05). Proportions of morphological characteristics to carapace length in male were significantly higher than those in females (P<0. 05). No difference was detected between the ratio of RL/CL of both sexes (P>0. 05). The size frequency distribution was normal for either sex, with a peak of occurrence in the size classes 5, 6 and 7 (4. 0-5. 5 mm). In females the growth rate of TL in relation to CL was greater than males and constant (isometric growth) in spring and summer, while in males a decreasing rate (negative allometric) in each two seasons of year was observed. Therefore, as expected, the growth rate of W in relation to CL for female sex was greater in spring and summer. Condition factor was higher in female shrimps (1. 56) than males (1. 52) (P > 0. 05). On monthly based analyses, variations in the condition factor were similar for both sexes, and minimum value was observed in winter. Asymptotic length (L∞), growth rate (k) and maximum life span estimated of males were 6. 1 mm, 0. 61 per year and 3. 43 years,those for females were 6. 62 mm, 0. 71 per year and 3. 17 years respectively.