Quote Originally Posted by TommyBoi View Post
Hey Terry, I am interested in knowing what "-ploids" my species are...like, tetraploid, octoploid, etc.... I have pairs of: Can you let me know, in regards to the species I have, thanks!!)
Interspecific hybridization among species in the genus Xenopus seems to be a rarity. However, there are some examples of a failure in reproductive barriers, allowing the occurrence of 3 known natural hybrids - laevis X gilli, laevis X muelleri and victorianus X borealis. The Station Experimentale de Zoologie at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) is the leader in producing a variety of Xenopus crosses. Hybrids are sterile.

I think the problem with producing viable hybrids goes beyond chromosome count, most of the Xenopus species has a very restricted range - laevis, muelleri, S. tropicalis and S. epitropicalis being exceptions. Restricted range increases the chances for reproductive isolation.

laevis: tetraploid (4 sets of 9 chromosomes = 36); laevis-subgroup
boeralis: tetraploid (4 sets of 9 chromosomes = 36); muelleri-subgroup
amieti: octoploid (8 sets of 9 chromosomes = 72); fraseri-like subgroup
boumbaensis: octoploid (8 sets of 9 chromosomes = 72); fraseri-like subgroup
clivii: tetraploid (4 sets of 9 chromosomes = 36); muelleri-subgroup
muelleri: tetraploid (4 sets of 9 chromosomes = 36); muelleri-subgroup
CO3: unknown taxa

It is possible that CO3 could be a newly described octoploid species from the Congo, sister taxon of X. vestitus:

Evans, B. J., Greenbaum, E., Kusamba, C., Carter, T. F., Tobias, M. L., Mendel, S. A. and Kelley, D. B. (2011), Description of a new octoploid frog species (Anura: Pipidae: Xenopus) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a discussion of the biogeography of African clawed frogs in the Albertine Rift. Journal of Zoology, 283: 276–290. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2010.00769.x


Good luck with your breeding project