MAHON, Andrew R.; CARPENTER, Kent E.; BERRA, Tim M.; Old Dominion University, Dept. of Biological Sciences; Old Dominion University, Dept. of Biological Sciences; The Ohio State University, Dept. of Evololution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology: Phylogenetic placement of the nurseryfish (Perciformes: Kurtidae) among the suborders of the Perciformes using the nuclear recombinase activating gene I (RAG-1).

Historically, Kurtus has been placed in the Kurtoidei, a monotypic suborder of the Perciformes. Previous reports utilizing morphological data have hypothesized their relationship to pempherids, beryciforms, and apogonids. The morphological evidence in this area is inconclusive. Therefore, for the present study, we used the recombination activating gene I (RAG-1) to test these phylogenetic relationships. This nuclear gene has shown promise in resolving deeper level relationships among fishes. The present study utilizes 1500 base pairs of the RAG-1 gene to test the interrelationships among Perciform suborders and families. The specific purpose of this study was to infer the placement of the family Kurtidae among members of the Perciformes. Preliminary results show similarities to previously reported relationships of the Kurtidae to the Apogonidae and have begun to resolve suborder relations within the Perciformes.