Potential species identification by allozyme/protein markers in European spined loaches.

Samples from 37 populations of spined loach (Cobitis) pure species and their hybrid complexes - were examined using gel electrophoresis for the interspecific variability in 27 protein coding loci. Up to now, species-specific and species distinguishing variants in different protein/enzyme loci were found in Cobitis bilineata, C. elongata, C. elongatoides, C. cf. fahirae, C. strumicae, C. taenia, C. tanaitica, and C. turcica. The species-specific differences in the occurrence of such variants were found in 11 loci for these Cobitis species. This allowed us both identification of species and recognition of interspecific hybrids in many complexes. Besides this we were able in many cases of polyploid hybrids to estimate their genomic composition.