| Description: | Otoliths are calcium carbonate structures present in many
vertebrates, found within the sacculus of the pars inferior. There
are three types of otoliths: sagittae, lapilli, and asterisci. In
fish, it is primarily the sagittal otoliths that are studied, as
they are larger and easier to prepare and observe. Otoliths vary
markedly in shape and size between species, but are of similar
shape to other stocks of the same species. Otoliths contain
information that can be used by `expert readers' to determine
several key factors important in managing fish stock. Analysis of
otolith boundaries may allow estimation of stock composition,
including whether the samples are from one stock or multiple
stocks, allowing management decisions to be made}. This data
consists of Otholith outlines from two classes of Herring: North
sea or Thames. More details are in the paper Clupea Harangus:
Interspecies distinction using curvature scale space and
shapelets |
