ABSTRACT

It is therefore of the uttermost importance for fi sh cytogenetics studies to have a reliable identifi cation of the specimens, and a way to reassess the identifi cation a posteriori. Identifi cation can be performed using either molecular or morphological approaches (using discrete or continuous characters or character combinations). However these approaches require preserving the whole or part of the studied specimens, along with all the available collection data and must therefore be factored in at the planning stage of the cytogenetics study. Morphological identifi cation can require a lot of expertise, and in recent years molecular identifi cation has been developing at a rapid pace. Collaboration with competent taxonomists working on the same groups ameliorates the identifi cation or taxonomic work, and they might even be grateful for the additional material.