KARYOTYPES OF SIX TERAPONIDAE FISH SPECIES

The karyotypes of 6 species of Teraponidae fishes were analyzed. The PHA and colchicine were injected in vivo, and kidney cells were collected and treated in lower osmotic pressure and air-drying technique. The result show that six species had diploid chromosome style, and satellite chromosome; the secondary constrictions and sex chromosome were not found except for Rhynchopelates oxyrhynchus. The karyotypes were formulated as: 2n=48=48t, NF=48 for Terapon theraps, Helotes sexlineatus, and Pelates quadrilineatus; 2n=48=4m+44t, NF=52 for Scortum barcoo, and 2n=48=4m+2st+42t, NF=52 for R. oxyrhynchus. Abnormal sex chromosomes appeared in the karyotypes of R. oxyrhynchus. The karyotypes of the six Teraponids are typical of high position in phylogeny. By comparing the karyotypes of other spe- cies in Order Teraponidae, we find that karyotype of R. oxyrhynchus is very different from those of T. jarbua and P. quad- rilineatus, which should be studied in the future. Except for S. barcoo, the karyotypes of the other 5 species were reported for the first time in China.