Phylogeny of Parablennius Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 reveals a paraphyletic genus and recent Indo-Pacific diversification from an Atlantic ancestor

A molecular phylogeny of 15 (out of 26 recognized) species of Parablennius Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 was constructed based on two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments, and using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches. The closely related genera Hypleurochilus, Salaria and Scartella were also studied to ascertain their relationship with Parablennius. Phylogenetic analyses were compared with morphology-based taxonomical studies. Hypleurochilus, Salaria and Scartella appear well supported within a clade including all Parablennius, indicating that this genus is paraphyletic. The species pairs P. parvicornis-P. sanguinolentus and P. gattorugine-P. ruber are well-supported and relatively distant from remaining Parablennius. Remaining Parablennius form two distinct well-supported groups: (1) a clade of Atlantic-Mediterranean Parablennius (P. pilicornis, P. marmoreus, P. rouxi, P. salensis and P. tentacularis); (2) a clade including Hypleurochilus, the Indo-Western Pacific Parablennius (P. cornutus, P. intermedius, P. tasmanianus and P. yatabei) and the Atlantic-Mediterranean P. incognitus and P. zvonimiri. Use of a relaxed molecular clock suggests that Indo-Pacific Parablennius originated recently from an Atlantic Parablennius that may have dispersed via southern Africa, rather than via the Tethys seaway.

Highlights► The genus Parablennius Miranda Ribeiro, 1915 is paraphyletic. ► Indo-Pacific Parablennius derived from Atlantic Parablennius. ► Indo-Pacific colonized via southern Africa. ► Molecular clades correspond closely to morphological groups.