Table 2.
Morphological variation (min-max (average)) of three Central Asia shovelnose sturgeon species (after Berg 1948) and one museum specimen (Andizhan, Fergana valley of the Syr Darya basin) which we have identified as a P. fedtschenkoi.
| P. kaufmanni (after Berg 1968) | P. hermanni (after Berg 1968) | P. fedtschenkoi (after Berg 1968) | Specimen at the Andizhan museum (FED 01) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorsal scutes | 10–14 (12) | 9–13 (10–11) | 15–22 | 19 |
| Lateral scutes | 30–38 (34.5) | 31–39 (35) | 37–46 | 36 visible plus 3–5 (?) on the caudal peduncle which is not present on the museum specimen) |
| Abdominal scutes | 6–19 (7–8) | 6–9 (7) | ? | 8 |
| Rostrum spines | present | absent | absent | absent |
| Caudal filament | present | absent | absent or present | lost or absent |
| Skin fold at the anterial edge of pectoral fin | absent | present | present | present |