Use of the biochemical analysis of muscle proteins to help the classification of polychromic individuals of the genus Symphodus.

Among Labrid fishes (Wrasses), polychromy is very frequent. Indeed, a few species of Symphodus show individuals with a peculiar colouration. On one hand, electrophoretic analysis of muscular proteins (myosin and parvalbumins) reveals no differences between the normal individuals and the coloured morphs of the three species. On the other hand, these analyses display disparities between fishes of the two subgenus (Crenilabrus and Symphodus). Biochemical characters seem to have evolved in the same way that morphological and behavioural ones: the subspecies based only on differences in colouration are not confirmed but the differences between subgenus are revealed.