[RML] species differentiation

tayers at bridge.com
Fri, 4 Sep 98 14:36:57 EDT

I was explaining to someone about how readily Rainbows cross-breed
even between members of different genuses and it raised a question for
me. Are these offspring fertile? I remember the simplistic definition
from high school biology that "organisms are of the same species if
they can produce fertile offspring." But I bet that isn't completely
true. I am sure this is a huge can of worms, but could some of you
explain to a layman some of the methods used to distinguish species.
I have heard not much work is done on Rainbow speciation, but maybe
you could mention what techniques people use for other fishes.

Thanks a lot and
Hope you have a very nice day, :-)
Tim Ayers tayers at bridge.com
St. Paul, Minnesota, where I consider myself damn lucky to live in the
same town as Cary Hostrawser. Talk with him at last night's aquarium
society meeting I picked up many interesting 'bow tidbits, including
the aquarium hobby history of M. herbertaxelrodi.