Two small streams on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, were examined for patterns of morphological variation in Gasterosteus aculeatus. A progressive analysis beginning with Principle Components Analysis, followed by Nested and Partially Nested Multiple Analysis of Variance and then Duncan's Multiple Range Test was used for pattern determination. This new technique allows the researcher to sequentially isolate the pattern of variation at different levels of generality from species to individual organisms. The pattern of variation for G. aculeatus in Bonsall Creek and Nunns Creek can be summarized as follows: The largest amount of variation accounted for by the analysis is interpreted as individual variation. Populations also account for a large amount of variation and show consistent, fully nested patterns of variation at each of the analysed geographic and microgeographic levels. These populations are probably genealogical units. The so-called "leiurus" and "trachurus" forms on the Pacific coast of North America do not appear to be evolutionary entities, but to be historical artifacts that are best viewed as labels for the extremes of a continuum of variation. In areas where distinct populations meet, different clines are documented in the two stream systems. In Nunns Creek there is a smooth cline between populations, whereas in Bonsall Creek there is a step cline. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

In Labeo umbratus only the first three anterior vertebrae undergo any modification. These vertebrae are not completely anchylosed with each other and are closely associated with the four Weberian ossicles. Movement is however restricted between these vertebrae since this is essential for the efficient functioning of the Weberian ossicles. The first vertebra is well developed the absence of a spinous process and neural arch in the first vertebra may perhaps be explained by the findings of some workers who derive the claustrum from the former and the scaphium from the latter. A small muscle has its origin on the claustrum and its insertion in the angle formed by the dorsal and medial processes of the scaphium. A second muscle originates in the pit-like excavation of the first vertebra and is inserted on the ventral process of the scaphium. The intercalarium possesses horizontal, articular and ascending processes; a portion of the horizontal process being imbedded in the interossicular ligament. In Labeo umbratus it is unlikely that the intercalarium represents (if it does so at all) the entire neural arch of the second vertebra. From a morphological point of view it seems likely that the intercalarium may function as a lever. A transversely situated ductus endolymphaticus joins the two sacculi to each other. The sagitta, in the region of the ductus endolymphaticus has a long, lateral "wing-like" process which projects into the cavity of the sacculus. The sacculus anilagena are innervated by the n. saccularis and the n. lagenaris respectively. The ductus endolymphaticus is prolonged posteriorly into a median unpaired sinus endolymphaticus. Although the only serious objection to Weber's theory is the fact that there could be no differential action of the two ears, the basic idea seems valid. Sagemehl's theory cannot be accepted. It seems likely that the Weberian ossicles are necessary structures for audition and to the hydrostatia function of the air-bladder.

The Orange-Fish and Cookhouse tunnels that are part of a major inter-basin water transfer scheme (IBT) act as a pathway for several fish species from the Orange River system to enter the Great Fish and Sundays River systems in South Africa. These include Labeo capensis and L. umbratus. Labeo capensis was restricted to the Orange River system before the inter-basin water transfer scheme. Labeo umbratus occurred naturally in the Orange River and in southern flowing river systems. Previous studies showed that the two species hybridise in Hardap Dam, located in a tributary of the Orange River system in Namibia. There are also unconfirmed reports of hybrids from Darlington Dam on the Sundays River system. The aim of the thesis was to confirm hybridisation in Hardap Dam, assess whether hybridisation between L. capensis and L. umbratus has occurred in Darlington Dam and to gain a better understanding of the diversity of these two species. Morphology (morphometrics and meristics), a nuclear S7 intron and the mitochondrial cytochrome ♭ gene were used to assess for hybridisation. A total of 275 specimens were analysed from across the geographical range of the two species. The two species could be distinguished using morphometrics (dorsal fin base, interorbital width and operculum to eye distance) and meristics (lateral line, origin of the dorsal fin to lateral line, origin of the pelvic fin to lateral line and caudal peduncle scale counts) characters. Hybrids from Hardap and Darlington dams were placed between the two species clusters. Labeo umbratus from the Orange River and southern flowing rivers formed a single cluster. The two species could also be distinguished from each other with six nuclear DNA mutations and hybrids were heterozygous at such sites in both dams. Labeo umbratus populations from the Orange River and southern flowing rivers (Gouritz, Gamtoos, Sundays, Bushmans, Great Fish and Nahoon) formed a single lineage. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA, however, revealed that L. umbratus populations from the Orange River and southern flowing rivers were two lineages that differ from each other by 5 mutations. Labeo capensis could be differentiated from both these lineages. Being maternally inherited, mitochondrial DNA did not reveal hybridisation, but ten specimens with L. capensis haplotypes were found in the Darlington Dam. In Hardap Dam, however, it appears that only L. capensis mitochondrial DNA haplotypes persist, despite morphological and nuclear DNA analysis suggesting that both morphs and hybrids of the two species occur. The genetic integrity of these Labeo species has therefore been compromised in at least Hardap and Darlington dams. The Great Fish and Sundays populations are considered to be under threat of complete introgression. The Kat River and Slagboom Dam populations that were isolated before the IBTs have to remain isolated to protect the genetic integrity of the southern lineage of L. umbratus in these two systems.