Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
Published on: August 22, 2013
Ultrastructural morphometry and genetic divergence of spermatozoa in two morphologically similar Triplophysa species
Yuqing He1, Chaohao Yu1, Chenyao Zhang1
1Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Organisms, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830000, China.
Abstract:
The loach genus Triplophysa, endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, presents persistent taxonomic challenges due to high morphological similarity among species. This study presents the first ultrastructural morphometric data for spermatozoa of Triplophysa strauchii and Triplophysa microphthalma. Mitochondrial COI gene sequences indicated a Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) genetic distance of 5.6% between the studied populations, a level of divergence that exceeds commonly cited thresholds for animal DNA barcoding and suggests considerable genetic differentiation. Using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, we obtained morphometric measurements of spermatozoa, which exhibit the typical anacrosomal, uniflagellate teleost morphology. Comparative analysis revealed variations between the two taxa in total sperm length, head dimensions, mitochondrial size, and axonemal substructures.This work provides preliminary baseline ultrastructural data for these species and offers additional anatomical characters that may aid in distinguishing them.
Related Concept Videos
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers
Lampbrush Chromosomes
LBCs are made up of two pairs of conjugating homologous chromatids. Each chromatid consists of alternatively positioned regions of condensed-inactive chromatin and loosely placed-active side loops, which can be contracted and extended. The loops resemble the...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...

