en Biology & physiology Biology & physiology پژوهشي Orginal research papers <a name="_Hlk44229522"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1">The variation in otolith shape of </a><a name="OLE_LINK6"></a><a name="OLE_LINK5"></a>three syntopic species of mudskippers <em>Boleophthalmus dussumieri</em>, <em>Periophthalmus waltoni</em>, and <em>Scartelaos tenuis</em> from the tidal flats of Qeshm Island in Persian Gulf was studied <a name="OLE_LINK8"></a><a name="OLE_LINK7"></a>based on Elliptic Fourier Analysis. <a name="OLE_LINK10"></a><a name="OLE_LINK9"></a>Principal component analysis and Discriminant analysis could separate the specimens of every species with 100% classification success, which proves the variability of otolith among the three fish species. <a name="OLE_LINK12"></a><a name="OLE_LINK11"></a>Cluster analysis produced two main clusters, one cluster encompasses only specimens from <em>P. waltoni</em> and the other contains <em>S. tenuis</em> and <em>B. dussumieri.</em> <a name="OLE_LINK14"></a><a name="OLE_LINK13">The result of the present study revealed the power of geometric morphometrics in discriminating the three mudskippers.</a> <a name="OLE_LINK16"></a><a name="OLE_LINK15">It is also concluded that otolith traits especially its geometric morphometric could be regarded as an invaluable source of information for paleontology, phylogeny, taxonomy and ecology of fishes</a>. Mudskippers, Persian Gulf, Otolith shape, Elliptic Fourier Analysis 333 342 http://jifro.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2357-2&slc_lang=en&sid=1 M. Ghanbarifardi meghfardi@gmail.com 100319475328460039254 100319475328460039254 Yes Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran R. Zarei r.zareie@gmail.com 100319475328460039255 100319475328460039255 No Department of plant sciences, Faculty of biological sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran