MORPHOMETRICAL ANALYSIS OF 0-JUVENILE GIANT STURGEON (HUSO-HUSO) REARED IN THE CZECH-REPUBLIC FOR FIRST TIME()

The giant sturgeon (Huso huso Linnaeus, 1758), reintroduced to the Cze ch Republic in 1994 as fertilised eggs and then reared to juveniles (0 +), were analysed for 6 meristic and 36 plastic characters. The values of meristic characters (D 58-69, mean of 60.8; A 27-32, mean of 30.0; in dorsal line 11-15 scutae, mean of 13.0; in lateral line 28-50, mea n of 44.6; in ventral line 8-11 scutae, mean of 9.4; in C 30-35 fulcra e, mean of 32.5) and the values of several plastic characters document a wide range of morphometrical variability, and in other characters, they document a considerable stability of their values which is charac teristic of this taxon as related to the fish growth. The values of pl astic characters, in the whole, can be interpreted as follows: 0+ juve niles have a markedly larger head, longer snout and shorter body as co mpared with adults. In addition, external morphological differences in the total body characteristics, and differences in meristic character s of juvenile and adult specimens of giant sturgeon (beluga) are docum ented. The analysts of literature data has revealed that such detailed morphometrical description of 0+ individuals of the beluga species as with most freshwater fishes, is being published in the literature for the first time.