Heterochromatin polymorphism and physical mapping of 5S and 18S ribosomal DNA in four populations of Hypostomus strigaticeps (Regan, 1907) from the Paraná River basin, Brazil: evolutionary and environmental correlation.

A cytogenetic analysis was performed on four populations of Hypostomus strigaticeps from the Paraná River basin, Brazil. Two populations were collected from the large channel river at the Itaipu reservoir area and the other two were from the upper stretches of tributaries of the Paraná River. All populations showed 2n=72 chromosomes (12m+12sm+18st+30a), intra- and interpopulation 18S rDNA site polymorphisms (two to three acrocentric chromosome pairs), and multiple 5S rDNA sites in three chromosome pairs (4, 21, and 28). C-banding revealed heterochromatin located in the centromere and pericentromere regions of most chromosome; however, large heterochromatic blocks (CMA3(-)/DAPI(+)) on the long arm of acrocentric chromosomes identified intra- and interpopulation polymorphism. The amount and distribution of heterochromatin seem to be correlated to biogeographical characteristics of H. strigaticeps along the Paraná River. Morphometric results also showed diversity among the populations, suggesting phenotypic plasticity of this species. Evolutionary, taxonomy, and biogeographical approaches with regard to H. strigaticeps and interrelationships in Hypostomus are discussed.