Mar Chiquita, an irregularly shaped brackish-water coastal lagoon, is located in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina and considered since 1996 by the Coordination Council of the Man and Biosphere Program of UNESCO as a World Reserve of Biosphere. The present paper aims to study both the spatial and temporal variation of fish composition in this coastal lagoon and the influence of some environmental variables on the relative abundance of the main fish species. Monthly sampling surveys over a two-year period in three different areas were conducted, using a beach-seine net and three monofilament-gill nets with different mesh size. Twenty-eight species belonging to four bio-ecological categories were identified, five of them are new records for Mar Chiquita fish community. The correspondence analysis showed strong relationships between high salinity range and the abundance of Brevoortia aurea, Cynoscion guatucupa and Pomatomus saltatrix. Conversely, low salinity range corresponded to high abundance of Mugil platanus and Odontesthes argentinensis. High temperatures were corresponded with abundance of Micropogonias furnieri and Brevoortia aurea. In contrast, high abundance of both Odontesthes argentinensis and Oligosarcus jenynsii were corresponded to low temperatures. Brevoortia aurea, Mugil platanus and Odontesthes argentinensis were the most abundant species, representing more than 80% of the total capture. The group of estuarine-nondependent-marine fish presented the highest species richness. Estuarine-dependent-marine species presented for both juveniles and adults specimens the highest abundance values.

The first case of dicephalia in tope Galeorhinus galeus analysed in developing foetuses removed from a pregnant female caught off the Mar del Plata coastal waters, Argentine Sea, is reported here.

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Morphologically, both classic and landmark-based morphometry and meristic analyses of 241 specimens of Merluccius, along with the re-examination of six paratype specimens of Merluccius hubbsi, the holotype and three paratypes of Merluccius patagonicus and the syntype of Merluccius australis revealed the presence of only two species of Merluccius in Argentinean waters. Internal structures (hyomandibula, urohyal and sagitta otolith) of M. hubbsi were compared to those reported for M. patagonicus and were shown to have identical morphology. Type specimens of M. patagonicus showed a complete overlap in morphometric and meristic characters with M. hubbsi, whereas M. australis had a greater number of second dorsal and anal-fin rays, and more lateral-line scales. In addition, M. australis had a smaller eye and longer snout than M. hubbsi and M. patagonicus. The results indicate that there is no evidence for a third hake species in Argentinean waters. Merluccius patagonicus is a synonym of M. hubbsi.

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Abstract.-The morphological analysis of the bones is a valuable tool for taxonomy, which has allowed the definition of the higher groups of vertebrates and descriptions and identifications of fish species. Therefore, the compared osteology provides valuable diagnostic elements in biodiversity studies, ecology and dynamics of trophic habits of piscivore fish. The goal of the present study is to make a descriptive and comparative osteological analysis that allow the identification of the main fish species occurring in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon: the brazilian menhaden (Brevoortia aurea), the mullet (Mugil platanus), the silver side (Odontesthes argentinensis), the white croaker (Micropogonias furnieri), the black drum (Pogonias cromis), the flounder (Paralichthys orbignyanus), the blue fish (Pomatomus saltatrix), the stripped weakfish (Cynoscion guatucupa) and the southern kingfish (Menticirrhus americanus). Six specimens of each species were analyzed and methods to disarticulate skeletons in fresh and frozen specimens were used. On the basis of the diagnostic characteristics of the bones and their degree of digestibility resistance, eleven bones were selected: parasphenoid, lachrymal, premaxilla, dentary, anguloarticular, palatine, hyomandibular, ceratohyal, urohyal, preopercle and posttemporal. Each bone has been described, and according to the most important differences found among fish species, identification keys were elaborated. We conclude that bone morphology constitutes a valuable diagnostic tool for the identification of fish species occurring in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon and coastal adjacent areas.

The high intraspecific variation among and the conservative external morphology of Merluccius spp. have resulted in serious identification difficulties. Four hundred and twenty fresh and preserved specimens of Merluccius were analyzed, including the type series of Merluccius australis, M. tasmanicus and M. hubbsi; specimens of M. hubbsi from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, and individuals of M. australis from Argentina and New Zealand were examined. The nomenclatural status of the type specimens of M. australis is discussed and the designation of a lectotype and a paralectotype is proposed. The comparative study of morphology, meristic, traditional and landmark-based morphometry, both external and internal, and through DNA-based Barcoding molecular tools demonstrates that Merluccius tasmanicus is a junior synonym of Merluccius australis. Meristic and morphometric characters of types of M. tasmanicus completely overlap those of M. australis, whereas M. hubbsi show fewer scales along the lateral line, total vertebrae, second dorsal and anal-fin rays. A trend of a longer snout and wider head in M. australis and M. tasmanicus, and larger eyes and longer pelvic fins, in M. hubbsi was observed. While discriminant characters were found in the internal elements (hyomandibula, urohyal and sagitta otolith) between M. hubbsi and M. australis, none were observed between M. australis and those reported for M. tasmanicus. DNA barcoding analyses found no evidence of the existence of other species of Merluccius besides M. hubbsi and M. australis.

The present study evaluated the possible occurrence of cryptic species among Merluccidae from Argentina by examining sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (coI) mtDNA. This approach can discriminate Merluccius hubbsi and Merluccius australis; specimens with morphological diagnostic characters of Merluccius patagonicus formed a cohesive cluster with M. hubbsi specimens. BIN analysis confirmed the effectiveness of barcoding within a global context.