Abstract:Eight characteristic values of asteriscus from 810 individuals in four culters species,including Culter alburnus,C. mongolicus,C. dabryi and Ancherythroculter nigrocauda,from 9 sampling points,were measured,and the regression analysis between culter’s body growth and otolith growth,and multivariate statistical analysis of morphological characters,six shape factors and six shape indices were analyzed using Statistica software. The results showed that:(1) There were significant differences of the asteriscus morphology among the four culters. (2) Power function regression equation could better describe the relationship between the culter’s body growth and otolith growth than linear regression equation. The regression equations between culter’s body quality and otolith quality,and between standard length and otolith diameter were approximate to linear regression relation,with the exponential value of regression equation between body quality and otolith diameter and standard length being 3.5 and 3,and between otolith quality and otolith diameter being 2. The growth rate of otolith mass was similar to that of body mass,but the growth rate of otolith mass relative to otolith length was slower than that of body mass relative to standard length or otolith length. (3) Discriminant function analysis of culter’s morphological characters had an accuracy of 71.11%,and the characteristic values that had great influence on the identification were OW,OA,OL and BL,etc. Through principal component analysis of the shape factors and shape indices,F2,F1,F6,F5 and CF,CR,EL,etc. had a greater influence on the recognition of shape. (4) Through otolith morphological characters discriminant analysis and cluster analysis among culter populations,it could be better distinguished from three Changjiang groups of C. alburnus (from Taihu Lake,Poyang Lake,and Danjiangkou Reservoir),the Lijiang group,and five Poyang Lake groups of C. mongolicus (from Xinmiao Lake,Nanbeigang Lake,Qilang Lake,Lushan West Sea Reservoir,and Zhangjiang River),with the group clustering distance associated with geographic distance among the populations. In short,asteriscus shape analysis in this study provides a basis for correlation analysis among culter species or populations.