Genetics, first results

A very good news: There are first results we have been waiting for since long. Since 2005 we have put about several hundred dead Parosphromenus immediately in alcohol (ethanole) and shipped them to Guelph in Canada. There the famous Fish-BOL-project ist situated working within the framework of the “Barcode-Of-Life”- reseach project on barcoding the DNA of as many fish as possible for the sake of a universal gene data bank. They have concentrated on sea-fish for food supply, but our correspondet Dr. Dirk Steinke has brought his special interest with him to Canada: Parosphromenus. Now, six and a half years after the very first investigations had started I have received a first result yesterday: very interesting indeed. To say the most important as first news: The two species ornaticauda and parvulus indeed may belong to a different genus. We have presumed that since long from behavioural data, now the genetic data seem to confirm that idea.

But there is still another good news. We are happy to announce that a genetic research is done at a second place using partly different methods than are used at the BOL-project, namely at the Museum of Natural History in Bern (Svitzerland) by the member of our advisory board Dr. Lukas Rüber (formerly Natural History Museum London). The whole material now in Canada is planned to be transferred to Svitzerland to Dr. Rüber in the next weeks. Then we can experience a very interesting scientific process: The test of a different analytical method at the same sample.

The point is of major importance to the understanding of this genus in which we have many problems with the similarity of the species and forms. We shall therefore soon include a new category to this global forum: Genetics.