Mezhzherin S.V., Fedorenko L.V., Verlatiy D.B.

Genetic differentiation and alozyme variation of shads of genus Alosa (clupeiformes, alosiinae) from the Azov-Black sea basin

TSitologiia i genetika 2009, v 43, Issue 2, 54-60

Biochemical variation and differentiation of three species of Black-Azov sea shads (Alosa immaculata, A. caspia, A. maeotica) from three local stocks of Danube, Dnepr and Azov sea has been estimated. The research was based on the analysis of variability of 19 enzymes and 5 structural muscle loci. As a result the high degree of monomorphism and absence of any differences in allele pools were proved that confirms the point of view about their species identity. Most likely that Caspian, Brazhnikov’s and Pontic shads are only morphologically discrete forms which have unreasonably appropriated a rank of a species, actually, they are the inhabited and spawning migratory ecological morphs, almost always meeting at anadromous fishes.

Mezhzherin S.V., Fedorenko L.V., Verlatiy D.B. Genetic differentiation and alozyme variation of shads of genus Alosa (clupeiformes, alosiinae) from the Azov-Black sea basin // Tsitol Genet. – 2009. – 43(2). – P. 54-60.