Table 1 Marine water fish studies on varied fish families, feeding types, number and shapes of the gill arches and gill rakers, and the references supported that

Siganus luridus

Siganidae

Planktivores

4 pairs

19 ± 0.32

17 ± 0.45

13 ± 0.45

10 ± 0.89

Bifid or trifid spines, or duck toe-shaped gill rakers.

L shape

[20]

Boops boops

Sparidae

Omnivorous

4 pairs

21 ± 0.89

16 ± 0.32

14 ± 0.32

13 ± 0.89

1L = long conical gill rakers with sharp lateral sides.

1M to 4M had short spiny gill rakers.

Semilunar

[20]

Pagrus pagrus

Sparidae

Carnivorous

4 pairs

13 ± 0.45

9 ± 0.32

6 ± 0.9

18 ± 0.4

Short, had fine-needle spinules covering the gill rakers’ top.

Hook

[20]

Sea bass

Serranidae

Carnivorous

4 pairs

29

26

25

22

17

14

11

9

1L = long saw-like, the rest was short and smooth.

Semilunar

[4]

Sea bream = Sparus aurata

Sparidae

Carnivorous

4 pairs

11

11

10

10

10

10

8

7

Short, wide-based processes with sharp ends and blunt surfaces.

Bow-like

[4]

Short, conical in shape, adapted to carnivorous feeding.

[64]

Red Sea seabream (Diplodus noct)

Sparidae

Carnivorous

4 pairs

Short, conical in shape.

Semilunar

[64]

Dusky grouper

Serranidae

Carnivorous

4 pairs

28

28

27

27

19

18

17

17

1L = 1ong cone shape, while the reset of gill rakers was cylindrical, short gill rakers.

Semilunar

[19]

AC 27

AC 26

AC 17

AC 13

The accessory rakers were like the short gill rakers but smaller in length.

European hake

Merlucciidae

Carnivorous

4 pairs

10

7

7

4

5

4

3

2

1L was triangular with pointed ends carrying spines, with the rest of the gill rakers elevation with blunt ends carrying spines.

———

[17]

Grey Gurnard Fish

Triglidae

Carnivorous

4 pairs

16

17

14

14

12

12

11

11

Long lateral and medial short gill rakers on the first gill arch, while the rest gill arches show short lateral and medial gill rakers in the grey gurnard.

Crescentic-shape

[15]

Striped Red Mullet Fish

Mullidae

Omnivorous

3 pairs

11

12

9

10

8

11

-

-

All three-gill arches were carrying short lateral and medial gill rakers.

Crescentic-shape

[15]

Puffer Fish

Tetrodontidae

Omnivorous

3 pairs

17

17

12

15

11

12

-

-

The gill arch has two rows of small lateral and slightly larger medial gill rakers.

Somewhat crescentic -shape

[45]

Mugil cephalus

Mugilidae

Detritus feeder

4 pairs

The lateral row had long and great numbers of gill rakers, while there were short and fewer numbers on the medial one.

Crescentic -shaped

[64]