ALLOZYME VARIATION OF AFRICAN AND IBERIAN POPULATIONS OF THE GENUS COBITIS

African and Iberian populations of the genus Cobitis exhibit high morp hological polymorphism and their taxonomy is unclear. In seven such po pulations the percentage of polymorphic loci ranged between P=0.08-0.4 8 and mean heterozygosity per locus H=0.005-0.073. The lowest Nei gene tic distance between African and Iberian populations of Cobitis was D= 0.250. The populations separated with the formation of the Gibraltar s trait 5 million years ago. C. calderoni is a well-differentiated branc h from the rest of the Iberian populations of the genus. Our analysis supports the concept that C. paludica populations and C. maroccana are referable to the subgenus Iberocobitis. These African and Iberian pop ulations represent two taxa, C. maroccana Pellegrin, 1929 and C. palud ica De Buen, 1930. C. maroccana and C, paludica populations are monoph yletic and the African population is the most differentiated genetical ly. The Arrago population of C. paludica is genetically the most diffe rentiated of the Iberian populations. Our allozyme data do not support the previous consideration of the Albufera lagoon population as a dif ferent species from C. paludica. (C) 1995 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.