“…The genetic identification of hybrids is an important aspect of fish culture that helps to avoid problems associated with artificial hybridization ( Toledo-Filho et al , 1998 ; Porto-Foresti and Foresti, 2004 ). Among the currently available genetic methods, cytogenetics has contributed extensively to ichthyological studies and is an important tool for chromosomal, evolutionary and phylogenetic analyses and species identification ( Foresti, 2008 ; Oliveira et al , 2009 ). In hybridization studies, this technique is effective in assessing the levels of ploidy and in identifying gynogenetic and androgenetic lineages, the morphological and chromosomal structure of parental and hybrid species and lineages, structural alterations in the chromosomes of hybrids, and cytogenetic markers that allow discrimination between pure species and interspecific hybrid lineages ( Toledo-Filho et al , 1994 ; Almeida-Toledo et al , 1995 ; Porto-Foresti et al , 2008 ).…”