Phylogenetic relations among percid fishes as inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA sequence data

Hypotheses of relationship among genera of Percidae have been conflicting. Based on different phylogenetic premises, the evolution of small benthic fo rms in Percidae has been interpreted as resulting from either convergence o r common ancestry. In order to assess various phylogenetic hypotheses of Pe rcidae we collected complete sequences (1140 bp) of mitochondrially encoded cytochrome b for 21 species of percids. Seven species representing four ad ditional families of Perciformes were used as outgroups. Maximum parsimony and minimum evolution analyses both recovered single shortest trees, and th e results of these analyses were generally congruent with one another. All analyses consistently recovered three monophyletic groups in Percidae: Ethe ostomatinae (Ammocrypta, Crystallaria, Etheostoma, and Percina), Percinae ( Perca and Gymnocephalus), and Luciopercinae (Stizostedion, Zingel and Roman ichthys). As a result of this analysis we present a revised classification of Percidae and discuss the phylogenetic evidence for the independent evolu tion of small benthic species within Etheostomatinae and Luciopercinae. (C) 1998 Academic Press.