Table 3 Descriptive statistics, mean ± standard deviation (SD), range and number of scales (N) of the scale’s morphometric indices from the first four body regions of the studied Nemipterus species.

L1/L

N. zysron

74.83C3.67^Aa

(65.96–82.5) (100)

78.31 ± 4.19^Ab

(66.15–86.21) (56)

81.03 ± 2.64^Ac

(73.81–87.23) (53)

79.35 ± 2.69^Ab

(75-85.11) (50)

N. randalli

72.58 ± 3.25^Ba

(64-79.49) (50)

81.59 ± 2.88^Bb

(73.08–85.48) (41)

78.82 ± 1.79^Bc

(72.55-82) (51)

76.62 ± 2.66^Bd

(70.45–81.4) (40)

N. japonicus

73.63 ± 2.51A^Ba

(68.57–78.72) (40)

80.15 ± 4.23^Bb

(67.39–86.76) (40)

80.15 ± 2.31^Ab

(76.32–86.05) (40)

80.49 ± 2.2^Ab

(75-84.85) (40)

L2/L

N. zysron

24.73 ± 3.83^Aa

(16.67–34.04) (100)

21.24 ± 4.31^Ab

(13.8–35.3) (56)

18.24 ± 2.74^Ac

(12.28–26.19) (53)

20.16 ± 2.93^Ab

(12.12-25) (50)

N. randalli

26.96 ± 3.27^Ba

(20.51-34) (50)

17.97 ± 2.95^Bb

(14.29–26.92) (41)

20.86 ± 2.04^Bc

(16.67–27.45) (51)

22.99 ± 2.63^Bd

(17.14–29.55) (40)

N. japonicus

26.43 ± 2.6^Ba

(20.41–33.33) (40)

19.85 ± 3.96^Ab

(13.51–32.61) (40)

20.09 ± 2.18^Bb

(14.63–24.32) (40)

20.02 ± 2.1^Ab

(15.63-25) (40)

L1/L2

N. zysron

312.23 ± 64.19^Aa (193.75-483.33) (100)

386.51 ± 93.57^Ab (188.89–625) (56)

456.38 ± 86^Ac

(281.82–700) (53)

404.93 ± 81.41^Ab

(300–700) (50)

N. randalli

274.33 ± 44.01^Ba (188.24–387.5) (50)

466.77 ± 80.95^Bb (271.43-588.89) (41)

381.91 ± 44.52^Bc (264.29–490) (51)

338.85 ± 51.35^Bd (238.46-466.67) (40)

N. japonicus

282 ± 36.52^Ba

(211.11–380) (40)

422.91 ± 101.91^Ab (206.67–640) (40)

405.21 ± 59.7^Bb

(322.22-583.33) (40)

406.92 ± 50.01^Bb

(300–520) (40)

W/L

N. zysron

119 ± 7.8^Aa

(100-135.42) (100)

157.96 ± 9.92^Ab

(136-180.65) (56)

121.29 ± 10.62^Aa

(93.62-150.79) (53)

98.16 ± 6.64^Ac

(84.44-113.33) (50)

N. randalli

128.7 ± 10.19^Ba

(102.27-144.74) (50)

175.62 ± 10.31^Bb (150.91-191.94) (41)

110.14 ± 12.9^Bc

(77.59-131.75) (51)

92.72 ± 6.92^Bd

(77.08-108.11) (40)

N. japonicus

125.79 ± 7.9^Ba

(112.77–140) (40)

152.5 ± 11.07^Cb (129.27-174.14) (40)

115.4 ± 12.58^Bc

(89.74-137.21) (40)

88.26 ± 8.48^Cd

(70-103.13) (40)

W/L1

N. zysron

159.34 ± 12.41^Aa (131.25–200) (100)

202.22 ± 15.9^Ab (171.88-246.51) (56)

149.84 ± 14.22^Ac (121.95-193.88) (53)

123.83 ± 9.39^Ad (108.57-145.45) (50)

N. randalli

177.64 ± 15.84^Ba (136.36–206.9) (50)

215.36 ± 12.68^Bb (184.44–238) (41)

139.82 ± 16.91^Bc (102.27-170.59) (51)

121.17 ± 10.23^Ad (102.78-142.86) (40)

N. japonicus

171.05 ± 12.53^Ca (143.24-194.44) (40)

190.72 ± 16.31^Cb (157.5-223.33) (40)

143.94 ± 14.98^ABc

(112.9-166.67) (40)

109.71 ± 10.75^Bd

(87.5-126.92) (40)

W/L2

N. zysron

493.54 ± 88.9^Aa

(321.05–750) (100)

773.06 ± 160.79^Ab (394.44-1144.44) (56)

679.4 ± 116.66^Ac

(440-1085.71) (53)

498.64 ± 88.98^Aa (362.5–775) (50)

N. randalli

483.79 ± 68.19^Aa (370.59–687.5) (50)

1002.8 ± 170.9^Bb (621.43-1288.89) (41)

532.19 ± 76.14^Ba (346.15–680) (51)

408.79 ± 58.41^Bc (307.69-557.14) (40)

N. japonicus

480.25 ± 55.13^Aa (388.89–640) (40)

798.38 ± 168.23^Ab

(420-1155.56) (40)

583.93 ± 108.64^Cc (411.11-842.86) (40)

446.25 ± 69.2^Ca

(300-583.33) (40)

R1/W

N. zysron

12.43 ± 2.87^Aa

(7.58-20.00) (100)

8.23 ± 1.88^Ab

(5.33–12.86) (56)

8.83 ± 2.37^Ab

(5.33–14.89) (53)

17.97 ± 4.84^Ac

(8.89–31.03) (50)

N. randalli

9.37 ± 1.62^Ba

(6.06–13.64) (50)

6.78 ± 1.31^Bb

(4.42–9.09) (41)

7.901 ± 1.29^Bc

(5.71–11.11) (51)

15.1 ± 2.82^Bd

(9.52–21.62) (40)

N. japonicus

12.65 ± 2.57^Aa

(6.41–17.65) (40)

11.22 ± 3.29^Ca

(5.31–16.98) (40)

12.25 ± 2.18^Ca

(8.51–17.65) (40)

18.8 ± 3.64^Ab

(11.43–26.09) (40)