Molecular Phylogenetic Affinities ofScarus obishimeRandall & Earle, 1993, Endemic to the Pacific Ocean Archipelago of Ogasawara (Japan)

A rare parrotfish, Scarus obishime, endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, shares close phylogenetic affinities with Scarus ovifrons, a species found along Japan's southern coasts. This is the first formal molecular analysis confirming their relationship using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences from two specimens of S. obishime. The study analyzed partial sequences of one nuclear gene (S7 ribosomal protein intron 1) and two mitochondrial regions (control region and 16S rRNA), comparing them with published data from related species. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a robust affinity between the two species, while also suggesting a partially shared evolutionary history involving an Arabian lineage, Scarus arabicus. This insight sheds light on the complex evolutionary pathways of parrotfish in the Pacific and adjacent regions.

Mabuchi, K., & Kuriiwa, K. (2014). Molecular Phylogenetic Affinities ofScarus obishimeRandall & Earle, 1993, Endemic to the Pacific Ocean Archipelago of Ogasawara (Japan). Pacific Science, 68(3), 321–331. https://doi.org/10.2984/68.3.2