Institute Of Animal Physiology And Genetics, Academy Of The Sciences Of The Czech Republic

The hybrid unisexual vertebrate systems of spiny loaches, genus Cobitis, Prussian carp, genus Carassius, partially also water frogs, genus Rana, are subjects of long-term interest. Hybrid diversity of asexual clones of European spiny loaches has no parallel among other unisexual vertebrates – they are widely distributed from Atlantic coast as far as Moscow region in Russia. Molecular tools have shown that these hybrid complexes are of polyphyletic origin, have reciprocal maternal ancestry and probably evolutionarily young. Experimental mating of various hybrid biotypes and genetic analyses of progenies documented gynogenesis as mode of reproduction, production of diploid ova in diploid hybrids and origin of triploidy via genome addition. The mosaic 2n/3n specimens were also identified. Similar type of studies has been strated for hybrid complex of Prussian carp, one of the most invasive species in European ichthyofauna.. The cytogenetic and cytotaxonomic studies of several holarctic freshwater fish groups (e.g. cyprinids, cobitids, silurids, salmonids) are tradionally carried out in our lab. Beside basic karyological survey of unstudied species/groups, the chromosomal characteristics of major rDNA sites have been studied and analyzed. Our lab also studies population genetic parameters at allozyme level in several endangered fish species groups (gudgeons, scuplins, spiny loaches, etc.)