Phylogenetic Relationships of Trachinoid Fishes of the Family Uranoscopidae

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Abstract
The genera of the trachinoid family Uranoscopidae are compared anatomically with each other and with outgroup taxa. Evidence is provided to show that the families Cheimarrichthyidae, Pinguipedidae, Percophidae, Trichonotidae, Creediidae, Champsodontidae, Chiasmodontidae, Leptoscopidae, Trachinidae, and Uranoscopidae have cladistic affinity; that the Trachinidae and Uranoscopidae are sister groups; and that the Uranoscopidae is monophyletic. Of the 17 nominal genera, seven are recognized as valid: Pleuroscopus Barnard, with a single species; Gnathagnus Gill, four species; Uranoscopus Linnaeus, with perhaps as many as 36 species; Kathetostoma Gunther, about seven species; Genyagnus Gill, a single species; Ichthyscopus Swainson, five species; and Astroscopus Brevoort, in Gill, probably only three species. Pleuroscopus and Gnathagnus constitute a monophyletic assemblage that forms the sister group of all remaining uranoscopid genera, Uranoscopus and Kathetostoma together form the sister group of the three remaining genera, and Genyagnus is the sister group of Ichthyscopus and Astroscopus. The family and genera are diagnosed, and generic synonymies and a revised key to the genera are provided.