A morphometric investigation of suckermouth catfish specimens collected from the Upper and Lower Morass of Black River, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica was conducted between June 2007 and May 2008. Descriptions of 39 morphometric and 15 meristic measures are given. Taxonomic assessment through the application of dichotomous keys, photographic identification, and comparison with other morphometric work on similar species, identified the loricariid as Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Pisces, Loricariidae). Further analysis revealed that populations of P. pardalis in the Upper Morass have relatively longer heads, longer snouts, longer and deeper caudal penduncles, and deeper dorsal fins compared with individuals from the Lower Morass. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed no distinct groups of P. pardalis occurring throughout the Black River Basin. Both populations exhibited allometric growth and the relationships between length and weight in the P. pardalis populations were significant and linear.

中文翻译：

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牙买加 Pterygoplichthys pardalis（Pisces, Loricariidae）非本土种群的形态学评估

2007 年 6 月至 2008 年 5 月期间，对从牙买加圣伊丽莎白黑河上下游沼泽收集的鲇鱼标本进行了形态测量研究。给出了 39 种形态测量和 15 种分生测量的描述。通过应用二分法、照片识别以及与类似物种的其他形态测量工作进行比较，分类学评估将 loricariid 确定为 Pterygoplichthys pardalis（双鱼座，Loricariidae）。进一步的分析表明，与来自下沼泽的个体相比，上沼泽的 P. pardalis 种群具有相对较长的头部、较长的鼻子、更长和更深的尾垂以及更深的背鳍。主成分分析 (PCA) 显示在整个黑河流域中没有出现明显的 P. pardalis 群体。