Phylogeny based on two mtDNA genes (Co-1, Cyt-B) among Sculpins (Scorpaeniformes, Cottidae) and some other scorpionfish in the Russian Far East

Abstract

The average scores of p-distances at Co-1 and Cyt-b genes revealed a pattern of increased nucleotide diversity for four categories: (1) intraspecies, (2) intragenus, (3) intrafamily, and (4) intraorder. Scores for Co-1 genes were following: (1) 0.24 ± 0.19% (n = 66), (2) 1.54 ± 0.27% (n = 33), (3) 11.57 ± 0.24% (n = 42), and (4) 12.91 ± 0.16% (n = 102); while for Cyt-b genes, those values were (1) 1.92 ± 0.55% (n = 24), (2) 8.19 ± 0.09% (n = 812), (3) 15.42 ± 0.07% (n = 1573), and (4) 23.13 ± 0.19% (n = 211). A concordant increase in the distance score, as the rank of taxa grows, with the minimum at intraspecies level substantiates the concept that speciation in the order Scorpaeniformes mostly follows a geographic mode. Phylogenetic trees for 40 sequences of scorpionfish and four other fishes belonging to Actinopterigii were developed using Co-1 gene and four different analytical approaches: Bayesian, ML, MP, and NJ. Resolution of the Co-1 trees for the three genera that included different species branches was quite distinct in all approaches. Intrafamily branching for Cyt-b in Cottidae was also supported by all four kinds of trees but only for less numerous genera in the research.

• Co-1
• Cyt-b
• molecular phylogeny
• nucleotide composition
• sequence divergence
• p-distance
• scorpionfish
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

We are very thankful for proofreading of the manuscript and useful comments to Mr. E. P. Shvetsov. Our thanks are to Dr. S. N. Sharina, who has helped in Cyt-b gene sequencing.

Declaration of interest

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support received from the Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Science, Grant nos. 12-I-OBN-07, 12-II-СО-06-017, and KPFI 12-06-002. No other financial, consulting, or personal relationships have influenced this work and no writing assistance was obtained.