Chromosomes of Six Species of Marine Fishes

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Abstract
Somatic chromosomes from gill epithelia of six species of marine fishes and germinal chrmosomes from testes of two of them have been studied. The diploid complements of all the six species contain 48 gradually seriated chromosomes and thus no size grouping was possible. The karyotypes of Liza oligolepis, L. macrolepis, Lutjanus kasmira and Siganus javus contained only telocentric chromosomes while scatophagus argus and Thysanophrys indicus include one and six pairs of biarmed chromosomes respectively in their complement. Interspecific relationship has been discussed and the role of pericentric inversion and/or centromeric shift has been stressed for the origin of karyotypes of S. argus and T. indicus from ancestral primative karyotype. Indication of the presence of a genetic heterogamety in two species of Liza under study has been suspected.