Phylogenetic position of the enigmatic Lepidogalaxias salamandroides with comment on the orders of lower euteleostean fishes.

This study examines phylogenetic placement of the enigmatic Western Australian Lepidogalaxias, and extends previous studies by including eight new taxa to enable re-examination phylogenetic relationships of lower euteleostean fishes at the ordinal level, based on mitochondrial genomes from 39 ingroup taxa and 17 outgroups. Our results suggest that Lepidogalaxias occupies a basal position among all euteleosts, in contrast with earlier hypotheses that variously suggested a closer relationship to esocid fishes, or to the galaxiid Lovettia. In addition our evidence shows that Osmeriformes should be restricted Retropinnidae, Osmeridae, Plecoglossidae and Salangidae. This reduced Osmeriformes is supported in our results as the sister group of Stomiiformes. Galaxiidae, which is often closely linked to Osmeriformes, emerges as sister group of a combined Osmeriformes, Stomiiformes, Salmoniformes, Esociformes and Argentiformes, and we give Galaxiiformes the rank of order to include all remaining galaxioid fishes (Galaxias and allied taxa, Aplochiton and Lovettia). Our results also support a sister group relationship between Salmoniformes and Esociformes, which are together the sister group of Argentiniformes.

Aquatic productivity and the evolution of diadromous fish migration.

Diadromous migration, in which some fish species migrate from freshwater and feed in the ocean (anadromous species) and others migrate from the ocean and feed in freshwater (catadromous), has long been perplexing. However, when the distribution of diadromous species is examined with respect to global patterns in aquatic productivity, this apparent paradox is resolved. The contrasting directions of migration can largely be explained by the relative availability of food resources in ocean and freshwater habitats. Oceans are more productive than freshwaters in temperate latitudes, and anadromous species predominate. In contrast, catadromous species generally occur in tropical latitudes where freshwater productivity exceeds that of the ocean.