PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS AMONG SELECTED DARTER SUBGENERA (TELEOSTEI, PERCIDAE) AS INFERRED FROM ANALYSIS OF ALLOZYMES

Twenty-six darter taxa representing 18 subgenera and three outgroup ta xa were assayed electrophoretically for allozyme variation at 32 presu mptive gene loci. The most-parsimonious phylogenetic tree resulted fro m PAUP-derived analysis enforcing a topological constraint among outgr oup taxa consistent with a previously published phylogenetic hypothesi s. Phylogenetic relationships depicted in this tree include a basal cl ade of Crystallaria asprella plus Etheostoma (Ammocrypta) beanii siste r to all remaining darter taxa (genera Percina and Etheostoma). Percin a is paraphyletic with respect to Etheostoma. Within Percina, P. capro des and P. vigil form a clade sister to P. nigrofasciata plus all memb ers of Etheostoma except the sole representative of subgenus Ammocrypt a. Etheostoma (exclusive of subgenus Ammocrypta) consists of four clad es. The basal-most clade includes Litocara as the sister taxon to Allo histium and Etheostoma (s.s.) plus E. zonale. The second basal-most cl ade within Etheostoma (s.l.) consists of Nanostoma/Ulocentra as the si ster taxon to Oligocephalus. In the third clade, subgenus Nothonotus i s sister to Doration plus a clade composed of Ion and Boleosoma. The r emaining clade depicts Boleichthys as sister to Fuscatelum plus Ozarka and Catonotus.