Biochemical systematics, Fishes, Menticirrhus americanus, Menticirrhus littoralis, Sciaenidae, Electrophoresis, Isoenzymes, South coast, Brazil
Abstract
Populations of two congeneric species of southwestern Atlantic sciaenid fish, Menticirrhus americanus and Menticirrhus littoralis, analysed electrophoretically to detect isoenzyme variability, showed very little genetic variation and a moderately high similarity in their allelic composition. A total of 22 alleles encoded by 17 loci were observed. Interspecific variability were found for the loci G6pdh-A, G6pdh-B, Hbdh-B, Mdh-B and Sod-A. Intraspecific variation was observed only for Mdh-B in M. littoralis. The genetic similarity between M. americanus and M. littoralis (INEI+0.76) is congruent with the high level of morphological similarity showed by these two congeneric species.
