Molecular Phylogeny of Mugilidae (Teleostei: Perciformes)

ABSTRACT

Molecular phylogenetic relationships among five genera and twelve Mugilidae species were investigated using published mitochondrial cytochrome b and 16S rDNA sequences. These analyses suggested the paraphyly of the genus Liza and also that the separation of Liza, Chelon and Oedalechilus might be unnatural. Moreover, all the species of the genus Mugil plus orthologs of Crenimugil crenilabis clustered together; however, molecular analyses suggested possible introgressions in Mugil cephalus and moreover, that fish identified as Mugil curema could correspond to two different species as already shown by karyotypic analyses.

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