Karyological relationships between gobies (Gobiidae: Perciformes) of Euro-Mediterranean and Ponto-Caspian districts

Abstract

The first step to phylogenetic analysis of 5 Euro-Mediterranean and 5 Ponto-Caspian gobies, recently assigned to 4 genera and to various, instable number of subgenera, was the phenetic examination and evaluation of their karyological traits, according to literature data. Four karyological characteristics appeared useful for distinction: the diploid chromosome number (2n), the number of chromomeres, the intraspecific polymorphism and sexual dimorphism of karyotype. Phenetic relationships between chosen gobiid taxa did not conform with their current classification, which validates the efforts to proceede into the phylogenetic analysis of these goby species.