title: Phylogenetic relationships of salangid fishes (Osmeridae, Salanginae) with comments on phylogenetic placement of the salangids based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.
abstract: We used partial DNA sequences of cytochrome b and 16S mitochondrial genes to determine the phylogenetic placement of salangid fishes and the generic relationships within the salangids. Our molecular data strongly support the monophyly of salangid fishes, the inclusion of salangids in the Osmeridae, and the sister group relationship between salangids and osmerids. Our analyses suggest that Plecoglossus can be separated from all the other salangids and osmerids. Mallotus and Hypomesus are clustered within Osmerinae, rather than allied with Salanginae. As regards the relationships within the salangids, our analyses are incongruent with all previous classification hypotheses. Our phylogenetic analyses support the sister group relationships between Protosalanx and Neosalanx, and between Salanx and Hemisalanx. More evidences show that Leucosoma is more closely related to the Salanx-Hemisalanx clade, while Salangichthys forms part of an unresolved basal polytomy.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Cuizhang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jihua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrés López
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Guangchun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Jiakuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005399:Fishes / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial