PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS OF THE GONOSTOMATIDAE (TELEOSTEI, STOMIIFORMES)

Recent studies have suggested that the family Gonostomatidae is monoph yletic if Diplophos, Manducus, and Triplophos are excluded, but no sup portive characters for this hypothesis have been described. The remain ing four genera, Bonapartia, Cyclothone, Gonostoma, and Margrethia, ar e found to share such derived features as loss of IP photophores, a sh ortened premaxilla, a peculiar pattern of maxillary dentition, and mod ified pharyngobranchials. The current analysis shows Cyclothone to be a clade nested within Gonostoma, rendering the latter paraphyletic. Wi th these results Cyclothone should be considered a junior synonym of G onostoma but the classification is not amended at this time, pending t he completion of other studies. The relationships of this restricted G onostomatidae to other stomiiform subgroups is discussed. Diplophos an d Manducus are proposed to be sister groups and together comprise the sister group of all other stomiiforms. The evidence for the interrelat ionships of Triplophos is contradictory but initial data presented her e indicate that this genus is probably more closely related to the pho tichthyans than to gonostomatans.