title: Multilocus resolution of Mugilidae phylogeny (Teleostei: Mugiliformes): Implications for the family's taxonomy.
abstract: The interrelationships among mugilids (Mugiliformes: Mugilidae) remain highly debated. Using a mitochondrial gene-based phylogeny as criterion, a revised classification with 25 genera in the Mugilidae has recently been proposed. However, phylogenetic relationships of major mitochondrial lineages remain unresolved and to gain a general acceptance the classification requires confirmation based on multilocus evidence and diagnostic morphological characters. Here, we construct a species-tree using twelve nuclear and three mitochondrial loci and infer the evolution of 71 morphological characters. Our multilocus phylogeny does not agree with previous morphology-based hypotheses for the relationships within Mugilidae, confirms the revised classification with 25 genera and further resolves their phylogenetic relationships. Using the well-resolved multilocus phylogeny as the criterion, we reclassify Mugilidae genera into three new subfamilies (Myxinae, Rhinomugilinae, and Cheloninae) and one new, recombined, subfamily (Mugilinae). The Rhinomugilinae subfamily is further divided into four tribes. The revised classification of Mugilidae is supported by morpho-anatomical synapomorphies or a combination of characters. These characters are used to erect a key to the subfamilies and genera.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), UMR MARBEC, Bat. 24, CC 093, Université Montpellier, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Dominique
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: czfu@fudan.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Cuizhang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Cheloninae; Morpho-anatomical characters; Mugilidae; Myxinae; Nuclear genes; Rhinomugilinae; Systematic