The Comparative Study of Genus Cobitis from Croatia and China based on Morphological and Genetic Analysis
Competition title: Croatian-Chinese Scientific and Tehnological Cooperation
Funding: Bilateralni, MZOS - Kina
AFZ role: partner
Total value: HRK 60,000.00
Funded amount: HRK 60,000.00
Start date: 2014/01/01
End date: 2015/12/31
Abstract
The genus Cobitis consists of approximately 66 species of freshwater fish and has a wide geographic distribution throughout Europe and Asia, representing one of the most widespread genera of European freshwater fish. Data on morphometric and genetic analysis of majority of commercially uninteresting fishes in Croatia are relatively poor and inadequate. This is also the case for species from the genus Cobitis. Zoographically, Croatia is divided into two well separated watersheds, the Danube and the Adriatic basins. In the Croatian part of the Danube watershed, four species of loaches have been reported: C. elongatoides, C. elongata, Misgurnus fosilis and Sabanejewia balcanica. In recent years, the distribution and systematics of spined loaches in Croatia have undergone numerous taxonomic changes and intensive investigations. The taxonomic status of genera Sabanejewia and Misgurnus is not yet resolved and numbers of species are not definite, however the spined loaches still require much attention.
The aim of this study was to provide basic information about the taxonomic position and phylogenetic relationships of the genus Cobitis from Croatia and China in order to understand the evolutionary history. It will be determent by analyzing their morphologic characters as well using molecular phylogenetic methods based on mitochondrial DNA markers.
Leaders
Prof. Tea Tomljanović, PhD
University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture
Associates
Assoc. Prof. Daniel Matulić, PhD
University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture
Prof. Marina Piria, PhD
University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture
Prof. Tomislav Treer, PhD, Professor Emeritus
University of Zagreb Faculty of Agriculture