Phylogenetic relationships of three rockfish: Sebastesmelanops, Sebastesciliatus and Sebastesvariabilis (Scorpaeniformes, Scorpaenidae) based on complete mitochondrial genome sequences

Abstract

We characterise the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of Black rockfish (Sebastesmelanops Girard, 1856; n = 1), Dark rockfish (Sebastesciliatus Tilesius, 1813; n = 2) and Dusky rockfish (Sebastesvariabilis Pallas, 1814; n = 2). The lengths of the mitogenomes are 16,405 bp for S.melanops, 16,400 bp for both S.ciliatus and 16,400 and 16,401 bp for S.variabilis. We examine these species' phylogenetic relationships using 35 previously published rockfish mitogenomes, representing 27 species. We find that S.melanops is sister to a clade consisting of S.rubrivinctus, S.nigrocinctus, S.umbrosus and S.oculatus, whereas S.ciliatus and S.variabilis are sister to a clade consisting of S.norvegicus, S.viviparus, S.mentella and S.fasciatus. We were unable to separate S.ciliatus and S.variabilis using their complete mitogenomes.

Keywords: Sebastes; mitogenome; phylogenetics; rockfish; speciation.