Phylogenetic relationships of sleeper gobies (Eleotridae: Gobiiformes: Gobioidei), with comments on the position of the miniature genus Microphilypnus

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 22162
• Main Authors: Macate, Isadola Eusébio, Bessa-Silva, Adam, Caires, Rodrigo Antunes, Vallinoto, Marcelo, Giarrizzo, Tommaso, Angulo, Arturo, Ruiz-Campos, Gorgonio, Sampaio, Iracilda, Guimarães-Costa, Aurycéia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22-12-2022; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/181; 631/208; 704/158; Animals; Biological Evolution; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Eleotridae; Eleotris; Eocene; Evolution; Fishes - genetics; Gobiomorus; Humanities and Social Sciences; Leptophilypnus; Microphilypnus; Mitochondria; multidisciplinary; Perciformes - genetics; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sequence Analysis, DNA; Taxa
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26555-7

Microphilypnus
and
Leptophilypnion
are miniaturized genera within the family Eleotridae. The evolutionary relationships among these taxa are still poorly understood, and molecular analyses are restricted to mitochondrial genes, which have not been conclusive. We compiled both mitochondrial and nuclear genes to study the phylogenetic position of
Microphilypnus
and the evolutionary history and relationships of eleotrids. We propose that
Microphilypnus
and
Leptophilypnus
(a non-miniature genus) are not sister groups as suggested by previous studies, but rather separate lineages that arose in the early Eocene, with
Leptophilypnus
recovered as a sister group to the other analyzed eleotrids. In fact,
Microphilypnus
is currently associated with the Neotropical clade
Guavina/Dormitator/Gobiomorus
. We also identified a well-supported clade that indicated
Gobiomorus
and
Hemieleotris
as paraphyletic groups, besides a close relationship among
Calumia godeffroyi
,
Bunaka gyrinoides, Eleotris
and
Erotelis
species. This is the first comprehensive report about the evolutionary relationships in members of the family Eleotridae, including multiloci and multispecies approaches. Therefore, we provided new insights about the phylogenetic position of some taxa absent in previous studies, such as the miniature genus
Microphilypnus
and a recently described species of
Eleotris
from South America.