Molecular phylogenetic affinities of some subtidal gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from Qeshm Island

Typical gobies are small in size and usually found as marine fishes. They inhabit on or whitin the substrates holes, and are mostly invisible. The present study identified two goby genera including Valenciennea and Gobiodon in Qeshm Island for the first time. Nuclear rhodopsin gene was sequenced in four goby species including G. citrinus, V. puellaris, V. sexguttata, as well as V. strigata. Furthermore, nuclear rhodopsin and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of 38 Gobiidae species from GenBank were used to obtain a representative data-set in order to assess the phylogenetic position of the new samples and to compare the resultant tree with other related molecular reconstructions. Our phylogenetic tree was composed of two Clades. Clade 1 involved two genera including Gobiodon and Paragobiodon and Clade 2 involved three genera, including Valenciennea, Signigobius and Amblygobius. While, Valenciennea and Signigobius species were nested within Sub-Clade X, only Amblygobius species was nested within Sub-Clade Y. This study examined the phylogenetic relationships of four goby species using Rhodopsin and COI, as new markers. Our results on molecular phylogenetic analysis were in agreement with those of other studies using different molecular markers and morphological examinations.