The interrelationships of Acanthomorph fishes: A total evidence approach using molecular and morphological data

DNA sequence and morphological data were analyzed for specimens of twenty-f ive species of acanthomorph fishes and two specimens representing the outgr oups Aulopiformes and Myctophiformes. A 572 base-pair (bp) segment of the 1 2S ribosmal mitochondrial gene, 1112 bp from three regions of the 28S ribos omal nuclear gene, and 38 morphological transformation series were analyzed under the criterion of maximum parsimony. The total evidence analysis resu lted in a set of four most parsimonious trees. Relationships common to all trees are largely congruent with the hypothesis articulated by Johnson and Patterson (1993. Bull. Mar. Sci. 52, 554-626). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Lt d. All rights reserved.