Fish body shape holds key to make fishery management cheaper, easier

A simple body-shape analysis can reveal what part of the ocean a fish came from, according to a new study from Smithsonian scientists working to develop better tools for managing small-scale fisheries. The researchers found that body-shape analysis reliably discriminated between yellowtail snapper caught at Caribbean fishing grounds just 5 kilometers apart—and it did so more accurately than two more costly and technology-intensive techniques.