Phylogenetic Relationships of the Coralliozetus Clade of Chaenopsid Blennies, with Description of a New Genus (Teleostei, Blennioidei)

A parsimony analysis of 53 morphological characters was used to hypothesize the relationships of the species of the chaenopsid genera Coralliozetus and Protemblemaria. A single most parsimonious topology was obtained (Fig. 1), with the following implications. Species currently allocated to these genera, together with the genus Emblemariopsis, form a monophyletic group (termed the Coralliozetus clade) whose sister group is the Chaenopsis clade (sensu Hastings and Springer, 1994). The genus Coralliozetus is monophyletic and distinctive, with the six included species sharing more than twenty apomorphies. As currently construed, the genus Protemblemaria is not monophyletic. Protemblemaria lucasana Stephens, 1963 is either the sister group of Emblemariopsis (in the shortest topology), or of Coralliozetus plus the other two species of Protemblemaria (in a topology one step longer than the most parsimonious). A new generic name (Cirriemblemaria) is provided for this species to achieve a monophyletic classification. A synapomorphy for the genus Emblemariopsis is proposed, and Coralliozetus tayrona Acero, 1987 is included in Emblemariopsis. The Coralliozetus clade includes two transisthmian species pairs.