Evaluating Morphometric Character Variations in Diploid and Triploid Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) during Early Developmental Stages

Abstract

Numerous techniques have been put out to differentiate between diploid and triploid organisms, but they are all too complicated and expensive for everyday handling. This study investigated the possibility of distinguishing between diploid and triploid common carp by using simple and cost-effective morphometric variations. This study examines morphometric variations between diploid and triploid common carp (Cyprinus carpio) at three initial developmental stages at 15-, 45- and 75-days post-hatch (dph) to evaluate the morphometric variations during the early developmental stages. Assessments of 11 morphometric characteristics indicated no significant differences between both the ploidy groups at 15 and 45 dph (P > .05), implying similar growth patterns during the early stages of development. However, by 75 dph, significant differences (P<.05) were observed in standard length (SL), eye diameter (ED), anterior myotomal height (AMH), and middle myotomal height (MMH). Triploid fish exhibited higher values in these characteristics. The findings imply that the growth benefits in triploids could be related to metabolic or genetic alterations associated with triploidy, particularly as physiological differences become more pronounced over time. The similarities in early morphometric characteristics between diploids and triploids likely signify shared genetic lineages, whereas the differences at later developmental stages highlight the effect of triploidy on growth characteristics.