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The gas bladder of puffers and porcupinefishes (Acanthomorpha: Tetraodontiformes): Phylogenetic interpretations
Author(s) -
Chanet Bruno,
Guintard Claude,
Lecointre Guillaume
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.20266
Subject(s) - biology , genus , zoology , anatomy
The anatomy of the gas bladder of Diodontidae (porcupinefishes) and Tetraodontidae (pufferfishes) was studied on the basis of dissections and magnetic resonance imaging. Among the examined taxa of Tetraodontiformes, only puffers and porcupinefishes possess a thick walled and dorsally U‐shaped or crescent‐moon‐shaped gas bladder. In the tetraodontid genus Lagocephalus the gas bladder is reduced to a rudiment. The species belonging to the genera Canthigaster , Arothron , and some species of Tetraodon differ in the positioning of their crescent‐moon‐shaped gas bladder. These observations confirm the close relationship of: (i) Diodontidae and Tetraodontidae and (ii) Canthigaster , Arothron , and some species of Tetraodon . The heterogeneity of the genus Tetraodon is supported by the gas bladder morphology, as previously suggested by molecular studies. J. Morphol. 275:894–901, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.