Abstract:
The mitotic chromosomes from gill tissue of four species and five subspecies of freshwater mussels of the family Amblemidae were analysed using air-drying technique. The diploid chromosome number of all four species and five subspecies are 38. The karyotypes of them are as fallows : Pilsbryoconcha exilis exilis - 3 pairs with metacentric, 15 pairs with submetacentric and 1 pair with subtelocentric ; Pseudodon vondembuschianus ellipticus - 5 pairs with metacentric and 14 pairs with submetacentric ; Ps. vondembuschianus chaperi - 3 pairs with metacentric,14 pairs with submetacentric, 1 pair with subtelocentric and 1 pair with telocentric ; Hyriopsis (Limnoscapha) desowitzi - 3 pairs with metacentric, 14 pairs with submetacentric, 1 pair with subtelocentric and 1 pair with telocentric ; H. (Limnoscapha) myersiana - 5 pairs with metacentric and 14 pairs with submetacentric ; Chamberlainia hainesiana - 5 pairs with metacentric and 14 pairs with submetacentric ; Uniandra contradens rustica - 3 pairs with metacentric, 13 pairs with submetacentric, 2 pairs with subtelocentric and 1 pair with telocentric; U. contradens tumidula - 5 pairs with metacentric, 10 pairs with submetacentric, 3 pairs with subtelocentric and 1 pair with telocentric and Physunio superbus - 7 pairs with metacentric, 10 pairs with submetacentric, 1 pair with subtelocentric and 1 pair with telocentric. This study can contribute important information supplementary to the morphological, biochemical and other characters used for systematic analyses of mussels in the mentioned family.