Abstract
Karyotypes of eight species of the genus Sebastes, family Scorpaenidae, from Japanese waters were analyzed in relation to morphology. Six of the eight species examined here are new to karyological study. The number of diploid chromosomes is 48 in all species excepting Sebastes hubbsi, which has 46 chromosomes.The karyotypes of the other seven species, viz. S.thompsoni, S.joyneri, S.schlegeli, S.oblongus, S.vulpes, S.pachycephalus nudus and S.trivittatus, consist of two metaor submetacentric and 46 acrocentric chromosomes, while the karyotype of S.hubbsi consists of two largesized and two mediumsized metacentric and 42 acrocentric chromosomes.Morphological differences between these two groups are not clear except for the difference found in the number of dorsal spines.The present results emphasize the stability of karyotypes among the fishes of the genus Sebastes, compared with rather various karyotypes found in other families of the order Scorpaeniformes.
