Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molecular phylogenetic relationships of China Seas groupers based on cytochrome b gene fragment sequences

  • Published:
Science in China Series C Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The classification and evolutionary relationships are important issues in the study of the groupers. Cytochrome b gene fragment of twenty-eight grouper species within six genera of subfamily Epinephelinae was amplified using PCR techniques and the sequences were analyzed to derive the phylogenetic relationships of the groupers from the China Seas. Genetic information indexes, including Kimura-2 parameter genetic distance and T S/T V ratios, were generated by using a variety of biology softwares. With Niphon spinosus, Pagrus major and Pagrus auriga as the designated outgroups, phylogenetic trees, which invoke additional homologous sequences of other Epinephelus fishes from GenBank, were constructed based on the neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum-parsimony (MP), maximum-likelihood (ML) and minimum-evolution (ME) methods. Several conclusions were drawn from the DNA sequences analysis: (1) genus Plectropomus, which was early diverged, is the most primitive group in the subfamily Epinephelinae; (2) genus Variola is more closely related to genus Cephalopolis than the other four genera; (3) genus Cephalopolis is a monophyletic group and more primitive than genus Epinephelus; (4) Promicrops lanceolatus and Cromileptes altivelis should be included in genus Epinephelus; (5) there exist two sister groups in genus Epinephelus.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Heemstra P C, Randall J E. Groupers of the World. Rome: FAO Species Catalogue, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  2. Meng Q W, Su J X, Miao X Z. Fish Taxology (in Chinese). Beijing: China Agriculture Press, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cheng Q T, Zheng B S. Systematic Synopsis of Chinese Fishes (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1987

    Google Scholar 

  4. Irwin D M, Kocher T D, Wilson A C. Evolution of the cytochrome b gene of mammals. J Mol Evol, 1991, 32: 128–144

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zardoya R, Meyer A. Phylogenetic performance mitochondrial protein coding genes in resolving relationship among Vertebrates. Mol Biol Evol, 1996, 13: 933–942

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. He S P, Liu H Z, Chen Y Y, Kuwahara M, Nakajima T, Zhong Y. Molecular phylogenetic relationships of Eastern Asian Cyprinidae (Pisces: Cypriniformes) inferred from cytochrome b sequences. Sci China Ser C-life Sci, 2004, 47(2): 130–138

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Song C B, Near T J, Page L M. Phylogenetic relations among percid fishes as inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b DNA sequence data. Mol Phylogenet Evol, 1998, 10(3): 343–353

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Caldara F, Bargelloni L, Ostellari L, Penzo E, Colombo L, Patarnello T. Molecular phylogeny of grey mullets based on mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis: Evidence of a differential rate of evolution at the intrafamily level. Mol Phylogenet Evol, 1996, 6(3): 416–424

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Craig M T, Pondella D J, Franck J P, Hafner J C. On the status of the Serranid Fish genus Epinephelus: Evidence for paraphyly based upon 16S rDNA sequence. Mol Phylogenet Evol, 2001, 19: 121–130

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Maggio T, Andaloro F, Hemida F. A molecular analysis of some Eastern Atlantic grouper from the Epinephelus and Mycteroperca genus. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol, 321(1): 83–92

  11. Sambrook J, Fitch E, Maniatis T. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual. 2nd ed. New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  12. Meyer A, Kocher T D, Basasibwaki P, Wilson A C. Monophyletic origin of Lake Victoria cichlid fishes suggested by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Nature, 1990, 347: 550–553

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Cantatore P, Roberti M, Pesole G, Ludovico A, Milella F, Gadaleta M N, Saccone C. Evolutionary analysis of cytochrome b sequences in some Perciformes: Evidence for a slower rate of evolution than in mammals. J Mol Evol, 1994, 39: 589–597.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Nicholas K B, Nicholas Jr H B, Deerfield D W II. GeneDoc: Analysis and visualization of genetic variation. EMBNEW News, 1997, 4: 14

    Google Scholar 

  15. Thompson J D, Gibson T J, Plewnia F. The Clustal_X windows interface: Flexible strategies ed for multiple sequences alignment aided by quality analysis tools. Nucleic Aci Res, 1997, 25: 4876–4882

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Rozas J, Rozas R. DnaSP (DNA Sequence Polymorphism), Version 4.00. An integrated program for molecular population genetics and molecular evolution analysis. Bioinformatics, 1999, 15: 174–175

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kumar S, Tamura K, Nei M. MEGA (Molecular evolutionary genetics analysis), Version 3.0. Tempe: Arizona State University, 2001

    Google Scholar 

  18. Swofford D L. PAUP*4.0610: Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony (*and other methods), beta version. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, 2002

    Google Scholar 

  19. Felsenstein J. PHYLYIP (phylogeny inference package), Version 3.63. Washington: University of Washington, 1993

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hochachka P W, Mommsen T. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Fishes: Environmental and Ecological Biochemistry, Vol 2. London: Elsevier Science, 1993, 1–38

    Google Scholar 

  21. Herwerden L V, Davies C R, Choat J H. Phylogenetic and evolutionary perspectives of the Indo-Pacific grouper Plectropomus species on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. J Fish Biol, 2002, 60: 1591–1596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Leis J M. Larval development in four species of Indo-Pacific coral trout Plectropomus (Pisces, Serranidae: Epinephilinae) with an analysis of the relationships of the genus. Bull Mar Sci, 1986, 38: 525–552

    Google Scholar 

  23. Smith C L. Family Serranidae. In: Fisher W, Bianchi G, Scott W B, eds. FAO species identification sheets for fisheries purposes. Eastern Central Atlantic, Fishing Areas 34, 47(part). Vols. 1–7. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1981

    Google Scholar 

  24. Smith C L. A revision of the American Groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull Am Mus Nat Hist, 1971, 146: 67–241.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Chow S, Kishino H. Phylogenetic relationships between tuna species of the genus Thunnus (Scombridae, Teleostei): incosistent implications from morphology, nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. J Mol Evol, 1995, 41: 741–748

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Bostrom M A, Collette B B, Luckhurst B E, et al. Hybridization between two serranids, the coney (Cephalopholis fulva) and the creole-fish (Paranthias furcifer), at Bermuda. Fish Bull, 2002, 100(4): 651–661

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oceanography and Institute of Subtropical Oceanography, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Ding Shaoxiong, Zhuang Xuan, Guo Feng, Wang Jun, Su Yongquan & Zhang Qiyong

  2. Department of Biology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Ding Shaoxiong & Li Qifu

Authors
  1. Ding Shaoxiong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhuang Xuan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guo Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wang Jun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Su Yongquan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zhang Qiyong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Li Qifu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Su Yongquan.

Additional information

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ding, S., Zhuang, X., Guo, F. et al. Molecular phylogenetic relationships of China Seas groupers based on cytochrome b gene fragment sequences. SCI CHINA SER C 49, 235–242 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-006-0235-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-006-0235-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation