J. Groger et L. Debus, Morphometric comparison of Acipenser sturio L. populations based on mixed estimation and morphometric measurements, ARCH FISH M, 48(2), 2000, pp. 175-193
Quite frequently scientists do not publish the original data bur only their
results or parts of it leading to incomplete literature information. In or
der to compare reduced morphometric literature information with morphometri
c data derived from own measurements, we have adopted and modified an econo
metric method for the purpose of stock discrimination. This method is calle
d mixed estimation and is a specific type of regression analysis which is i
nter alia described in Dhrymes (1985), Judge et al. (1988) and Theil (1971)
. In this context, based on the estimation of morphometric regression param
eters the procedure was particularly developed for a comparison of two stur
geon (Acipenser sturio L.) populations, one from the Baltic Sea (main spawn
ing places are located in the Oder and Vistula rivers), the other from the
Atlantic (main spawning places are located in the Dordogne, Garonne and Gir
onde rivers). As a result of our mixed estimation analyses 2 of 10 relation
ships between body related measures (anal and dorsal basis length) and 3 of
16 relationships between head related measures (eye size, barbel length, m
outh width) showed significant differences between the two populations. Sin
ce only parts of the morphometric differences are statistically significant
between both populations, it must be questioned whether their individuals
can be expected to come from two distinct populations.