A Cytogenetic Analysis of Enteromius parablabes (Daget, 1957) from Aho Stream, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

In this study, Enteromius parablabes (Daget, 1957) was analyzed with the aim of providing base line information regarding the diploid chromosome number and karyotype differences of both sexes. The diploid chromosome number (2n) was 50 for both sexes; and this corresponds to the diploid chromosome number reported for most small African Bar bus species. The fundamental number (NFa) of the male and female was 81 and 98 respectively. The first pair of metaphase chromosome which has been suggested to be a marker for the small African Barbus group was conspicuously larger in the female karyotype. The karyotype of the female consisted more of metacentric (39m +7sm + 2st + 2t) which is common in the group while the karyotype of the male which consisted more of telocentric chromosomes (10m + 21st + 19T)isscarce. The chromosomal number obtained for E.parablabes demonstrates its diploid status in the context of the ploidy lines characteristic of the African Barbus assemblage.

Keywords: Karyotype; Barbus; Taxonomy; Africa, Chromosome