Molecular phylogeny of three mudskippers (Gobiidae) from the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman (Makran)

Abstract

Presented is a phylogenetic reconstruction of mudskippers using sequences of the mitochondrial COI and cytb genes. The phylogeny combines the sequences of 12 species from GenBank with those of three species (Boleophthalmus dussumieri, Periophthalmus waltoni and Scartelaos tenuis) collected from the coastal area of the Persian Gulf and Oman (Makran) Sea and sequenced for the first time. Based on the Maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods, Periophthalmus forms a separate clade that is the sister lineage to a group formed by all remaining genera. The subfamilies Oxudercinae and Amblyopinae established on the basis of morphological characters have been shown to be paraphyletic and their use as taxonomic units is no longer recommended. The evolution of Periophthalmus waltoni, Periophthalmus barbarous and Boleophthalmus dussumieri is discussed based on molecular phylogenetic reconstruction.

Size-specific variations in the length-weight relationship and relative condition factor of Hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) across its habitats in Bangladesh

“…The inter-specific variations in the growth of fishes owing to different body shapes, feeding behavior, and feeding intensity are well documented [ 52 , 53 ]. Moreover, such variations at the intraspecific level are influenced by single or multiple factors including sex, age, size, gonad maturity, food availability, emptiness or fullness of the stomach, health condition, seasons, geographical locations, metabolic activity, etc [ 7 , 45 , 54 , 55 ].…”

Plectorhinchus makranensis (Teleostei, Haemulidae), a new species of sweetlips from the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman

“…Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Plectorhinchus have previously been investigated (Sanciangco et al 2011;Liang et al 2016;Tavera et al 2018). Molecular phylogenetic investigations of ichthyofauna are rare in the studied area (Asgharian et al 2011;Ghanbarifardi et al 2016;Polgar et al 2017;Rabaoui et al 2019). Asgharian et al (2011) and Johnson and Wilmer (2015) reported two specimens of P. schotaf in the Persian Gulf represented two genetic lineages, based on the COI gene.…”

Cryptic diversity of mudskipper genus Boleophthalmus (Gobiiformes: Oxudercidae) from the north coast of East Java, Indonesia

“…It consists of six species, namely, Boleophthalmus boddarti Pallas, 1770; Boleophthalmus caeruleomaculatus McCulloch and Waite, 1918; Boleophthalmus dussumieri Valenciennes, 1837; Boleophthalmus birdsongi Murdy, 1989; Boleophthalmus pectinirostris Linnaeus, 1758; and Boleophthalmus poti Polgar, Jaafar andKonstantinidis, 2013 (Murdy 1989;Polgar et al 2013). Mudskipper fish are frequently observed in soft-bottom ecosystems, such as mudflats and mangroves, and they are an essential species for this habitat (Ghanbarifardi et al 2016). Boleophthalmus is among the three most terrestrialized genera in the Oxudercidae family, owing to its epithelial, locomotory, vertebral, and appendicular specializations that facilitate transcontinental excursions (Steppan et al 2022).…”