Molecular cytogenetics of fishes

Fish exhibit the greatest diversity of all vertebrates, making this group extremely attractive for the study of a number of evolutionary questions. Besides, fish genomes have intrinsic characteristics that may be responsible for this amazing diversity, but little is known about their structure and organization. Major advances in chromosomal studies were achieved in the current ‘molecular cytogenetic era’ based on detecting DNA sequences on chromosomes, parts of chromosomes or even whole genomic DNA by fluorescence in situ hybridization. In this issue, a collection of review articles is presented together with current research results, demonstrating the advances made using this specific methodology in fish research. The contributions provide a timely update on recent developments in fish molecular cytogenetics, covering topics such as karyotype evolution, sex and B chromosomes, polyploids, and molecular evolution. Researchers, teachers, and students interested in the structural features and evolutionary dynamics of fish genomes will find this publication a valuable source of current knowledge.