Otoliths of Caspian gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae): Morphological diversity and phylogenetic implications
Journal: PLoS ONE
Year: 2023

Otoliths (ear stones) of the inner ears of teleost fishes, which develop independently from the skeleton and are functionally associated with hearing and the sense of equilibrium, have significantly contributed to contemporary understanding of teleost fish systematics and evolutionary diversity. The sagittal otolith is of particular interest, since it often possesses distinctive morphological features that differ significantly among species, and have been shown to be species- and genus-specific,