Molecular phylogeny of elopomorph fishes inferred from mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA sequences

Abstract

Wang, C. H., Kuo, C. H., Mok, H. K. & Lee, S. C. (2003). Molecular phylogeny of elopomorph fishes inferred from mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA sequences. — Zoologica Scripta , 32 , 231–241. Fishes of the superorder Elopomorpha include tenpounders ( Elops ), tarpon ( Megalops ), bonefishes ( Albula ), spiny eels ( Notacanthus ), apodes, and gulper eels; despite highly diversified morphological features, all undergo a leptocephalus larval stage and are thus treated (although with some dissenting views) as monophyletic. Following analysis of 12S rRNA sequences we present results that confirm a monophyletic Elopomorpha clearly separated from Clupeomorpha. Elops and Megalops share a common ancestor and are clustered in a subclade at the bottom of Elopomorpha. Albula and Notacanthus share a common ancestor forming the sister group to Anguilliformes. Saccopharyngiformes is not a sister group of Anguilliformes, as the single species sequenced here is nested deeply within the latter. Neither the suborder Congroidei nor the superfamily Congroidea within Anguilliformes are monophyletic.