Kaveh Khazaeil - Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Yazdan Mazaheri - Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Ali Reza Ghadiry - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Amin Ranjbar - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Mehdi Haghparast - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Studying the fish’s skull anatomy is advantageous, for example, for recognition ofdifferent families. The groupers are edible fishes of the Persian Gulf, however thereis no report about neurocranium of the orange spotted grouper. This study was doneafter radiography and bone clearing stages. In radiography, neurocranium withprismatic shape and triangular base in caudal position was observed. In anatomicalvision, the dorsal surface of the neurocranium from rostral to caudal was formed fromethmoid, prefrontal, frontal, parietal, epiotic and supraoccipital bones. In ventralsurface, from rostral to caudal, vomer, presphenoid, basisphenoid and basioccipitalbones exist. In lateral surfaces and from rostral to caudal, sphenoid, prootic andpteroic bones were observed. Anatomical and radiographical studies of neurocraniumof the orange spotted grouper were showed similarities and differences with otherfishes studied in Iran, for example zander and tigertooth croaker.

Orange spotted grouper, Neurocranium, Anatomy, Ichthyology