Somatic chromosomes in13species of Japanese gobies were examined.Cells from gills and digestive tracts were used after treatment with colchicine.The preparations were made according to the air-drying method and stained with Giemsa.
Diploid chromosome numbers of the followin13species were40to48, and two groups were separated on the basis of chromosome morphology, i.e., (1) the group in which all chromosomes were subtelocentrics or acrocentrics: Aboma lactipes, 2n=40, Acanthogobius flavimanus, 2n=44, Rhinogobius brunneus, 2n=44, Rhinogobius flumineus, 2n=44, Chasmichthys dolichognathus, 2n=44, Mugilogobius abei, 2n=46, Bathygobius fuscus, 2n=48, and (2) the group in which chromosomes consisted of metacentrics or submetacentrics and subtelocentrics or acrocentrics: Pterogobius elapoides, 2n=44, Luciogobius guttatus, 2n=44, Tridentiger obscurus brevispinis, 2n=44, Tridentiger trigonocephalus, 2n=44, Chaenogobius annularis, 2n=44, Periophthalmus cantonensis, 2n=46.