MAHON, A.R.*; CARPENTER, K.E.; Old Dominion University: The recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1) and phylogenetic inference of the suborder Percoidei within the Perciformes (Teleostei)

No serious attempt has been made to test the monophyly of the suborder Percoidei (Perciformes: Teleostei) or infer the evolutionary relationships of its 71 putative families within the order Perciformes. To develop a phylogenetic hypothesis of percoid families within the context of the order Perciformes, we used approximately 1500 bp of the single copy nuclear recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1), a gene has shown promise in determining higher level relationships in vertebrates. Preliminary analyses show some support for previously reported hypotheses and also offer some novel interpretations. Resulting cladograms show both the Percoidei and Perciformes are polyphyletic groups. Other supported relationships include the origination of the Scorpaeniformes, Tetraodontiformes, and Pleuronectiformes within the Perciformes. The results of this work provide a working phylogenetic hypothesis for the major groups of perciform fishes and could enable the framework for many comparative biological studies of this most speciose group of vertebrates.