Biochemical Evidence of Hybrid Formation between the Two Spceies of Dolphin Tursiops truncatus and Grampus griseus

Abstract

Four hybrids produced in an aquarium between the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus and the whitehead grampus Grampus griseus were analyzed electrophoretically to determine the genotypes coding to some enzymes and to ascertain the intergeneric hybridization in an artificial condition. The results obtained showed that each parental dolphin possessed its own gene(s) coding to each of the 3 enzymes (ICDH, GPI, MPI), and the hybrids had all the genes of the parental species. So was the case with an unidentified band detected on the sarcoplasmic protein pattern. The hybridization thus demonstrated was discussed in relation to the amount of differentiation and maintenance of species in the cetacean. © 1986, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.