Molecular phylogeny and new classification of the genera Eulophias and Zoarchias (PISCES, Zoarcoidei).

Morphological and osteological studies of the Zoarcoidei group have previously been undertaken, but the group (especially the genera Eulophias and Zoarchias) still remains enigmatic. Therefore, we conducted molecular phylogenetic studies on the two genera Eulophias and Zoarchias using two mitochondrial (16S rRNA and COI) and two nuclear genes (RAG2 and RNF213). Our phylogenetic analysis supported the monophyly of the suborder level of the Zoarcoidei, but rejected the previous morphology- and osteology-based classification hypotheses regarding the two genera. Conflict between mtDNA and nDNA phylogenies within the genus Eulophias implies that the genus shows a complicated relationship such as hybridization in the process of the evolutionary history. The genetic distances between the Eulophias (or Zoarchias) and other Zoarcoidei spp. were the greatest, showing different family-level affiliations. In addition, the mtDNA topology showed the two genera were clearly separated from each other as well as from the families Stichaeidae and Zoarcidae. Considering the new molecular phylogeny, we suggest a new classification for the two genera: (1) Eulophias belongs to a new family named as the Eulophiidae; (2) Zoarchias belongs to the family Neozoarcidae (sensu Radchenko et al., 2012b) rather than to Stichaeidae and Zoarcidae.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Gymnocanthus intermedius and Gymnocanthus herzensteini (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae).

Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genomes of the Sculpins species Gymnocanthus intermedius and Gymnocanthus herzensteini. The mitogenomes were determined to be 16,639 bp for G. intermedius and 16,691 bp for G. herzensteini. The mitogenomes comprised 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a non-coding region. We then used the mitogenome data to construct a phylogenetic tree for these two species and an additional three species within the order Scorpaeniformes.

Species identification of juvenile fishes of the genus Pseudoblennius using mitochondrial DNA barcoding.

Species identification is important in natural science and should be precise. Six specimens of juvenile Pseudoblennius were collected from the eastern coastal waters of the Korean Peninsula and Jeju Island in 2016-2017, and identified for the first time using DNA barcoding based on mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequences. DNA barcoding analysis supported three adult species of genus Pseudoblennius (P. cottoides, P. marmoratus, and P. percoides) being quite distinct from each other. Six juvenile specimens were completely identified: two as P. cottoides; two more as P. marmoratus; and the final two as P. percoides. Mitochondrial DNA COI can be effective as a means of species identification method for the genus Pseudoblennius.

Checklist of the tidal pool fishes of Jeju Island, Korea.

Seventy-six species of fishes, representing 60 genera and 34 families, were recorded from tidal pools on Jeju Island, southern Korea. The major families in terms of species were the Gobiidae (11 species), Pomacentridae (8 species), Blenniidae (6 species), and Labridae (5 species). Thirty-nine species were classified as tropical, 26 as temperate and 11 as subtropical.