Abstract:
Taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus
Abbottina fishes in the subfamily Gobioninae (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) remain unresolved. The current study utilized mitochondrial gene (cytochrome
b) and nuclear loci (
RAG1,
MLH3 and
MSH6) as molecular markers to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships of
Abbottina fishes, and revised their classification by merging morphological evidence. The results showed that
Abbottina rivularis and
A. obtusirostris were monophyletic species.
Abbottina lalinensis and
A. liaoningensis were paraphyletic species, which formed a monophyletic group.
Abbottina lalinensis+
A. liaoningensis were nested within
Microphysogobio fishes, and
Abbottina obtusirostris was nested within
Platysmacheilus fishes.
Abbottina lalinensis+
A. liaoningensis+
A. obtusirostris+
Platysmacheilus+
Huigobio+
Microphysogobio+
Biwia fishes formed a monophyletic group, which were a sister taxon of
Abbottina rivularis. Meristic and morphometric characters did not separate
Abbottina lalinensis from
A. liaoningensis. The molecular evidence and morphological evidence demonstrated that the genus
Abbottina fishes include
Abbottina rivulari and
A. binhi (un-sampling in this study), and that
Abbottina liaoningensis was a junior synonym of
A. lalinensis, which needs further revision; and
Abbottina obtusirostris was revised as
Platysmacheilus obtusirostris.