An Inconvenient Monophyly: An Update on the Taxonomy of the Groupers (Epinephelidae)
Groupers (Epinephelidae) are a species-rich assemblage of marine reef fishes whose classification has undergone many changes across various taxonomic levels. Over the past two decades, a number of molecular phylogenetic studies have contributed significantly to clarifying the relationships among groupers; however, usage of the relationships recovered by these studies in the classification of groupers has been inconsistent. In this paper, we build upon the most comprehensive phylogeny for groupers and their allies and use it as a framework for a phylogenetic classification of the group. We correct previous errors or omissions in earlier works and hope to lay to rest any doubts regarding previously proposed classification schemes for groupers. The resulting classification scheme includes nine monophyletic genera and the subsummation of all but one previously monotypic genus.
Majority rule consensus cladogram of maximum likelihood analysis, reconstructed using RAxML with 1000 bootstrap replicates following Ma et al. (2016). Numbers at nodes represent bootstrap support values (%).
Bayesian inference phylogram reconstructed using MrBayes following Ma et al. (2016). Numbers on branches represent posterior probabilities.
Cephalopholis sonnerati (top) and C. rogaa (bottom). Photographs © Robert Myers.
Cephalopholis argus (top left), C. albomarginata (bottom left), C. polleni (top right photo © Luiz Rocha; bottom right photo © Bob Fenner, www.wetwebmedia.com).
Cephalopholis fulva (top), C. furcifer (middle), and hybrid C. fulva x C. furcifer (bottom). Top and middle photographs © Robert Myers, bottom photograph © Luiz Rocha.
Epinephelus goreensis (top; photograph by Klaus Fiedler) and E. leucogrammicus (bottom; photograph © Robert Myers).
Epinephelus altivelis juvenile (top) and adult (bottom). Photographs © Robert Myers.
Contributor Notes
Associate Editor: W. L. Smith.