The subfamily Myoxocephalinae of cottid fishes (Cottidae): Genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships

Abstract

A comprehensive study based on molecular marker and karyotype analyses has provided evidence for the monophyly of the subfamily Myoxocephalinae, which includes the genera Myoxocephalus, Megalocottus, Microcottus, Porocottus, Enophrys and Argyrocottus. In addition, the karyotype of the threadfoot sculpin Argyrocottus zanderi Herzenstein 1892 has been studied for the first time. Marker traits of karyotypes identified 13 species among six cottid genera. As the molecular genetic results confirmed, the subfamily is divided into two groups corresponding to Enophrys and Myoxocephalus. The molecular genetic data did not support the formation of tribes within the subfamily Myoxocephalinae, as proposed earlier based on morphological characters. Moreover, the genera Trichocottus and Taurocottus should be excluded from the Myoxocephalinae. The evolutionary transformations of karyotypes in cottid fish tended towards a reduction in the number of chromosomes and chromosome arms.

Complete Mitogenome and Phylogenetic Analysis of a Marine Ray-Finned Fish, Alcichthys elongatus (Perciformes: Cottidae)

“…A dataset of 32 species was utilized, whereby the concatenated nucleic acid sequences of 13 PCGs were analyzed to construct the phylogenetic tree (Figure 4). In previous studies, the determination of phylogenetic relationships was based on the analysis of partial mitogenome sequences, mostly focusing on COX1 or 16S rRNA genes [3,9]. The mitogenome of A. elongatus in this study clustered with I. spatula (NC_027587) (Figure 1).…”

“…Few studies on the molecular features of A. elongatus have been published. A complete mitochondrial or nuclear genome sequence has not yet been published; only a few gene sequences are available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank, including COI, Cytb, rRNA (12S and 16S), and tRNA-Val genes of the mitochondrial genome and recombination activating protein 1 (RAG1) gene of the nuclear genome, and these genes were used for evolutionary and phylogenetic studies [3,9]. With the progress in genetic studies of biodiversity and systematics, the determination of how fish evolved by studying their complete mitochondrial genomes has developed quickly [10].…”