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Molecular and morphometric systematics of D iapterus ( P erciformes, G erreidae)
Author(s) -
VergaraSolana Francisco Javier,
GarcíaRodriguez Francisco Javier,
Tavera José Julián,
De Luna Efraín,
De La CruzAgüero José
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/zsc.12054
Subject(s) - polyphyly , biology , systematics , zoology , maximum parsimony , monophyly , taxonomy (biology) , genus , phylogenetic tree , phylogenetics , molecular phylogenetics , evolutionary biology , clade , genetics , gene
The fish belonging to Gerreidae are common representatives of the coastal ichthyofauna of the tropics and subtropics of the world. The genus Diapterus has a neotropical distribution and currently includes four species: two in the Atlantic Ocean [Irish mojarra D. auratus Ranzani 1842 and rhombic mojarra D. rhombeus (Cuvier 1829)] and two in the Pacific Ocean [short‐beaked mojarra D. brevirostris (Sauvage 1879) and golden mojarra D. aureolus (Jordan & Gilbert 1882)]. This genus has uncertain taxonomy based on the remarkable and dissimilar morphology of D. aureolus . We evaluated the taxonomy and phylogeny of Diapterus with statistical (canonical discriminant analysis) and phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) of geometric morphometric data (relative warps) and molecular data (12Sr RNA , 16Sr RNA , COI and RAG 1 sequences). Our results indicate that the genus Diapterus as we currently conceive it is a polyphyletic group: [( Gerres cinereus – Eucinostomus spp. ( D. aureolus – ( Eugerres spp. ( D. auratus – ( D. brevirostris – D. rhombeus ]. Therefore, a taxonomic rearrangement is needed. To preserve the monophyly of the group, our proposal is to remove D. aureolus and place it in a new monotypic genus. A neotype is designated for D. aureolus as well as an artificial identification key for the genera and the species treated in this article.