Previously reported results on natural populations of the Argentinean squid, Illex argentinus, urged further studies using electrophoretically detectable loci. The muscles of 202 adult squids caught in the Argentinean Sea were examined. Electrophoretic and staining methods for the 46 enzymes studied are given in detail. Forty-seven loci were detected (20 polymorphic), 45 of which are considered useable in population genetics screening. The expression of the loci coding for these enzymes is described and interpreted, and the presented results will serve as a basis for a more detailed examination of genetic variation in Argentinean squid populations. |