• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.499-508
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• 1990

Surveys of elecirophoretic variations in isozymes and proteins encoded by 25 persumtive loci were conducted to estimate the degree of genic variation and to assess species recognition for three species of the Family Gasterosteidae (Pisces) in Korea. The average degree of genic variation of Gasterosteus aculeatus was HD = 0.086, HG = 0.084, and P =36% and it was similar to Pungitius sinensis (HD = 0.080, HG = 0.091, P = 29%). But P.kaibarae was less variable than these species (HD = 0.034; HG = 0.034, P = 13%). The average genetic similarities among the populations in each species of Gasterosteus aculeatus pungitius sinensis and P. kaibarae were S = 0.963, S = 0.953 and S = 0.800 respectively.Yongchon and Kyongiu populations of P. kaibarae were genetically remote from the rest of the conspecific populations (S = 0.690). Chae (1988) also observed morphological differences between them. The value of genetic similariiy coefficients of S = 0.606 between P. sinensis and P. kaibarae is low enough to consider as specific level of genetic difference, but moderate rate of hybridization (44%) between them at a synpatric area of Kangnung indicates that isolating mechanism is incomplete. Therefore it is concluded that P. sinensis and P. kaffarae are semispecitic status. Intergeneric genetic similarities between the genus Gasrerosteus and Pungitius were S = 0.052 and this value is the lowest estimate up to date in freshwater fishes.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.107-119
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• 1989

Three species of Korean sticklebacks family Gasterosteidae were reviewed based on the specimens of several populations for the study of their morphological variations and taxonomical positions. All specimens of Gasterosteus aculeatus observed have a complte row of lateral plates ranging from thirty-two to thirty-five in number. The low-plate morph regarded as landlocked type is virtually absent. And no difference was recognized among six populations of G. aculeatus in the meristic chracters, i.e. number of vertebrae, gill rakers and finrays. The Pungitius sinensis and P.kaibarae ssp. shown local variations have scutes ranging from 31 to 35, but not clinal in the morphometric characters. But P.sinensis was statistically different from P.kaibarae ssp. in some characters such as the number of dorsal spine rays and vertebrae, and body depth, although their ranges overlapped. No significant taxonomic difference was detected between white from and black from in dorsal spinous membrane of P.kailbarae ssp. Although these three species of Korean sticklebacks have the same diploid chromosome number (2N=42), G. aculeatus is obviously different from the two species of genus Pungitius in their karyotype ; G. aculeatus consists of six metacentrics, six submetacentrics, and thiry subtelo-acrocentrics, and both P.sinensis and P.kaibarae ssp. have four metacentrics, six submetacentrics, and thirty-four subtelo-acrocentrics.