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The Cheilodactylidae Does Not Exist In Australia Or New Zealand
C.P. Burridge1, A.J. Smolenski2
1School of Ecology & Environment, Deakin University, Warrnambool, VIC 3280, Australia.
2School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252-05, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia.
Email: chrisb@deakin.edu.au
The Cheilodactylidae is a well-recognised family of nearshore fishes, widespread in the temperate waters of Australia and New Zealand. However, there has been recent argument regarding the allocation of species to this family, and the morphologically similar Latridae (Greenwood 1995). In an effort to determine the correct species composition of these two groups, we examined the phylogenetic relationships among all species of cheilodactylid and latrid based on cytochrome oxidase I and cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA sequences. Two South African cheilodactylids, Cheilodactylus fasciatus and C. pixi, were divergent from the remaining members of their family, and monophyly of the Cheilodactylidae was rejected based on parametric bootstrap analysis. As C. fasciatus is the nominal species, the family Cheilodactylidae should be restricted to the two South African taxa listed above, and as such, is not represented in the waters of Australia and New Zealand. In addition, there is no conclusive evidence, either morphological or genetic, that those cheilodactylids requiring familial reassignment represent an assemblage distinct from the Latridae. In conclusion, it is recommended that all but two South African species, C. fasciatus and C. pixi, be transferred from the Cheilodactylidae to the Latridae. Twelve species of Cheilodactylus also require generic reassignment.
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