Phylogenetic relationships of the suborder Notacanthoidei (Teleostei: Albuliformes) reassessed from osteological characters, with a proposed new classification
Kanehira, Naoko;Imamura, Hisashi;Yabe, Mamoru
Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/51110
KEYWORDS : Osteology;Phylogenetic relationships;Notacanthoidei;New classification
Abstract
The phylogenetic relationships of Notacanthoidei were reassessed on the basis of osteological characters and the classification of the suborder reconstructed on the basis of inferred relationships. The monophyly of the suborder is supported by two synapomorphies commonly recognized in all included genera. The phylogenetic analysis also revealed support for the suborder by five synapomorphies characterized by reversals or character transformations. In addition, notacanthoids share five apomorphies, present also in Anguilliformes, which may prove to be valid synapomorphies for the former. A phylogenetic analysis based on characters in 30 transformation series resulted in a single most parsimonious tree, which indicated that Aldrovandia branched off initially from other notacanthoids, followed by Lipogenys, and Polyacanthonotus and Notacanthus, which share a sister relationship with each other. Based on the reconstructed relationships, Notacanthoidei is classified into two families, Holasauridae and Notacanthidae, the latter being separated into subfamilies Lipogenyinae and Notacanthinae. Such a classification of Notacanthoidei, recognizing Lipogeninae as a subfamily of Notacanthidae, has not been previously proposed.
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