Partial and hyper-melanic pigmentation in fishes collected from the marine waters of Iraq, Arabian Gulf

Abstract

In the present study, report on incidences of partial and hyper-melanic pigmentation in 6 species belonging to the families, Lutjanidae, Nemipteridae, Platycephalidae and Sparidae based on 8 specimens collected in the marine waters of Iraq at the Arabian Gulf region. Severe case of hyper melanic pigmentation was noticed in Nemipterus randalli Russell, 1986 and Crenidens crenidens indicus (Forsskål, 1775), while an acute case of partial melanic pigmentation occurred in one specimen of Lutjanus lutjanus Bloch, 1790 and Argyrops spinifer (Forsskäl, 1775). Possible consequences of these colour aberrations on their ecology and on human eating insight were point out.