Beyond trout

As of recently, we are interested in more than salmonids. More about it when we publish something. For now, here are teasers from 2 non salmonid projects.

Guess the trout

How to identify the species? Is it possible to tell by color/shape/general appearence (phenotype) which trout is brown trout (stocked Atlantic lineage, native Adriatic lineage), dentex trout, softmouth trout, marble trout or hybrid?

This question is common in internet forums. In short, the answer in most cases is no. But here is a challenge, try to identify trouts on the picture below. Write your answers in comments, wait for the results of genetic analysis.

All fish were caught in the River Neretva, where we already found several trout species, you can also choose from this list.

Child play

Playing with Legos at work - a dream job. Several educational DNA sets were selected and tests are underway to choose the appropriate one for students.

Human genetics

Sooner or later, one needs to have a good negative or positive control when working with delicate (as the opposite of optimised) protocols. Human DNA seems like a good option and it works great for training purposes. For example, Y chromosome was proven for 2 lab researchers, for a good salmonid karyogram one needs some magic luck. And so when one researcher was isolating DNA from the same two blood samples for the third time, a dozen of his colleagues volunteered. Universality of some mtDNA primers will also be tested.

Some kind of order

There is an inexplicable urge in biology to sort, classify and order. The whole fish business grew over the last few years and so did the number of DNA isolates, primers, fin clips, blood samples and a mountain of working solutions. The time has come to sort them. A database of fish primers was created, stock solutions are now neatly packed in 4 boxes. DNA isolates and fin clips will follow.

Sir Humphry Davy

I read something about Humphry Davy on the BBC News website today. His name appeared on Slovenian TV a few years ago, apparently he was in Podkoren and Ljubljana several times, fly fishing. He even wrote a book "Salmonia or Days of Fly Fishing" (full content), published in 1832. In it, variability of salmonids, over fishing, stocking non native fish and taxonomic problems are mentioned beside personal experience of fly fishing in Great Britain, Ireland, Illyria (more or less present day Slovenia) and in several locations in Austria. Salmon, brown trout, huchen, grayling and charr are discussed, no mention of marble, softmouth or dentex trout.

A new piece of equipment II

As mentioned, a younger and better looking model appeared to present the wonderful new ABI3130xl.