INTERSPECIFIC GENE DIFFERENCES AND PHYLOGENY OF THE SPARIDAE FAMILY (PERCIFORMES, TELEOSTEI), ESTIMATED FROM ELECTROPHORETIC DATA ON ENZYMATIC TISSUE-EXPRESSION

1. ADH, PGM, GPI, G-3-PDH, G-6-PDH and SOD isozymes were analyzed in seven different tissues in 15 Sparidae species. 2. Marked differences between species were found in tissue distribution of some of the different isozymes. SOD showed only three patterns of activity and is the enzyme with the least interspecific variation between species. 3. The results are related to genetic, evolutionary and taxonomic factors. 4. The phylogenetic tree for the 15 Sparidae species has been prepared on the basis of comparisons of the indexes of divergence. The Sparinae subfamily were found to be very heterogeneous. 5. These studies indicate that some pairs of ever more distantly related species show no increase in their index of divergence. The species of the Pagellus genus reveal an unexpected taxonomic distance.