Dentex paper

Dentex paper was published. Finnaly. The results were mentioned before, samples from Montenegro were included in the final version.

Neretva and Skadar basins are inhabited by a complex mixture of salmonids of different appearances and sometimes of similar appearances and different genetic characteristics, which is why we are working on them in the first place. Results are often difficult to publish because of "small sample size" or because the studied taxa are "only of local significance". Dentex paper was one of the most difficult papers so far, because Aleš wanted to put it into a journal where we have no previous publications and because we did submit it to journals where our chances were statistically insignificant. Here is the list of attempted paper submittions:

• Freshwater Biology
  6 Apr 2009
  I regret that the advice I have received is that your paper is of insufficient general interest for Freshwater Biology and that it should be submitted to a more specialised fish journal.
• Nature
  30 Apr 2009
  ...after consideration, we are not persuaded that your findings represent a sufficiently outstanding scientific advance to justify publication in Nature.
• Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
  11 Jun 2009
  The Journal has a large backlog of high quality papers awaiting publication and because of this I am forced to adopt a stringent editorial policy. As a result I can accept only papers that are strongly recommended by all referees.
• Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences
  24 Dec 2009
  ...given that it is somewhat specialised in its subject matter, we recommend that it would be better suited to a more specialised journal such as Molecular Ecology or Copeia.
• Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
  5 Jan 2010
  The ZJLS is dedicated to systematic, phylogenetic and evolutionary zoology, but the main emphasis of this paper is a population genetic study of a single taxon.
• Hydrobiologia
  4 May 2010
  We are pleased to inform you that your manuscript, "Resolving taxonomic uncertainties using molecular systematics: Salmo dentex and the Balkan trout community", has been accepted for publication in Hydrobiologia

We will remember John's submittion in Nature as the rejection arrived in his mailbox in about half an hour. This is apparently called "the Nature rodeo". Hydrobiologia reviewers had about 90% of very relevant issues, but of course there was the standard "Reviewer #2: The English needs to be improved". The same happened even when we had 2 native English speakers as co-authors.

Ožbalt sampling

Searching for genetically pure populations of brown trout in Slovenia is still going on. This time we went to the Drava valley close to the hydroelectric power plant Ožbalt. Mr. Grace, the fish-warden of the Fishery Association Radlje ob Dravi, led us to the tributaries Kapusov potok and Suha. We were sampling above very impressive dams, and both streams have been unmanaged at least since 1980 according to Mr. Grace. Sounds promising.

In other news

Dentex paper was accepted after several failed attempts, we will all remember the Nature roller coaster experience. More details about this paper in the near future, the title is "Resolving taxonomic uncertainties using molecular systematics: Salmo dentex and the Balkan trout community", authors are Aleš Snoj, Branko Glamuzina, Andrej Razpet, John Zablocki, Ivan Bogut, Estelle Lerceteau-Köhler, Naris Pojskić and Simona Sušnik.

National Geographic paper (in Slovenian) is now available.

After spending the last few years working with students, Karst shepherds, Carniolan honey bees and cattle, Andrej has started with his basic postdoc project Immune response and behaviour of domesticated and wild brown trout financed by the Slovenian Research Agency for the next 2 years.