Relationships of Oryzias, and the groups of atherinomorph fishes. American Museum novitates ; no. 2719
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Abstract
Newly discovered evidence, particularly that pertaining to the gill arch skeleton and hyoid apparatus, indicates that adrianichthyoids (ricefishes and their allies) are related more closely to halfbeaks, flyingfishes, needlefishes, and sauries than to the killifishes with which they have been associated for over a century. This discovery was used as an occasion to reevaluate atherinomorph interrelationships and the monophyly of the included groups. We conclude that atherinoids are not presently a definable group, but that killifishes and the ricefishes plus halfbeaks and allies are. We also support the monophyly of the Atherinomorpha. In our proposed theory of relationships we have (1) abandoned use of the term Atherinoidei to represent the fishes formerly grouped by that name, preferring instead to include them in a general classification of the Atherinomorpha by a listing convention; and (2) used the ordinal term Cyprinodontiformes for killifishes, in conformity with a recent monographic revision by parenti (1981), and the term Beloniformes (including the Adrianichthyoidei and Exocoetoidei) for its coordinate sister group. We find the Atherinomorpha to be supported by 10 characters uniquely derived among ctenosquamate neoteleostean fishes and a subdivision including cyprinodontiforms and beloniforms to be supported by four characters uniquely derived within the Atherinomorpha. Some or all 'atherinoid' fishes are thought to be plesiomorphous to that subdivision"--P. [1].
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-25).