Karyotype Study of Eight Species of European Percid Fishes (Pisces, Percidae)

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Abstract
Karyotypes of eight species of European percid fishes representing all European tribes of Percidae, viz. Percini (Perca fluviatilis, Gymnocephalus cernuus, G. baloni, G. schraetser), Luciopercini (Stizostedion lucioperca, S. volgense) and Romanichthyini (Zingel zingel, Z. streber) were analyzed. Diploid chromosome numbers 2n = 48 have been found in all species analyzed. Their karyotypes are dominated by submetacentric to subtelocentric and acrocentric chromosome and differ in number of metacentric elements: one pair P. fluviatilis, S. lucioperca, S. volgense and G. cernuus to 5 pairs in G. baloni and G. schraetser. In the karyotypes of all species analyzed, the same marker chromosome pairs have been detected, viz. a pair of small metacentrics and a pair of large satellited (i.e. NORs carrying) subtelocentrics, respectively. Karyology of Percidae is further reviewed and discussed. It is postulated that chromosomal evolution of the family has been connected with rearrangements changing the centromere position on particular chromosomes but not with gross, i.e. numerical, karyotype changes.