Otolith evidence concerning interrelationships of caproid, zeiform and tetraodontiform fishes
Nolf, D.; Tyler, J.C. (2006). Otolith evidence concerning interrelationships of caproid, zeiform and tetraodontiform fishes. Bull. Kon. Belg. Inst. Natuurwet. Biologie 76: 147-189
In: Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen. Biologie = Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique. Biologie. Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen: Bruxelles. ISSN 0374-6429, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Nolf, D., more
- Tyler, J.C.
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| Abstract |
Otolith features are used to test osteology-based hypotheses about interrelationships among caproid, zeiform and tetraodontiform fishes and intrarelationships of the taxa within each concerned group. Otolith morphology suggests that caproids are the plesiomorphic sister group of [zeiforms + tetraodontiforms]. In zeiforms, otolith data are in reasonable agreement with the homogeneity of the families defined upon osteology, but they are of little use in supporting interrelationships among these families. Problematic cases are the plesiomorphic otoliths of Parazen and Zenion, which would group these two taxa as a plesiomorphic sister group of all other zeiforms. The placement of Parazen as sister to [Cyttopsis + Stethopristes] in parazenids and Zenion as sister to [Capromimus + Cytomimus] in zeniontids, however, is logically consistent within both families. In tetraodontiforms. otoliths exhibit a broad range of very different morphologies, but there are no apparent contradictions with the osteology-based phylogenetic hypotheses. The main interest of otolith morphologies among tetraodontiforms is the evidencc that strongly supports the recognition of three clades within balistids, and the confirmation of tetraodontids and diodontids as, respectively, plesiomorphic and apomorphic sister groups. |
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