Karyomorphometric analysis of fresh water fish species of India, with special reference to cold water fishes of Kashmir Himalayas. A Mini Review

Cytogenetics is the diagnostic study of chromosomal structure and properties, as well as cell division, using a variety of methods, one of which is “karyotyping.” It refers to a method of photographing a stained preparation in which the chromosomes are organised in a uniform pattern. The advent of modern techniques such as “karyotyping” has made it feasible to visualize undetected chromosomal abnormalities such as short chromosome segments and chromosome translocations. Because such techniques enabled each pair of chromosomes to be identified separately, they have further aided our understanding of the chromosomal basis of a certain significant genetic diseases. Every organism has its own unique karyotype, which is defined by its number and shape. Karyotypic variation, on the other hand, occurs in different individuals of the same species, as well as between different species. Monitoring cytogenetic data of economically significant fishes as well as threatened fishes can hold importance of the succeeding generations. This review article highlights the variation in the chromosomal number & classification, methods of chromosome preparation and karyotypic analysis of various fish species of India with a special reference to fishes of Kashmir Himalayas.