The Karyotypes of Seven Species of Tilapia (Teleostei: Cichlidae)

Abstract

Tilapia is an ancient and complex genus of cichlid fishes, widely distributed over the African continent. Its economic and scientific importance is comparable with that of Salmo for temperate regions. Karyological studies have much contributed to salmonid systematics (Behnke 1970, Gold 1977). Only two species of Tilapia have been previously karyotyped (Fukuoka and Muramoto 1975, Michele et al. 1977) and a few tentative chromosome counts have been reported (see Michele et al. 1977). The purpose of this study is to compare the karyotypes of a sample of Tilapia species in order to determine the extent of variation and the usefulness for distinguishing between different taxa. © 1980, Japan Mendel Society, International Society of Cytology. All rights reserved.