Quaternary climatic cycles promoted (re)colonization and diversification events in Adriatic sand gobies

The Adriatic Sea and drainage system (or region) is characterized by high levels of species richness. This especially applies to endemic fishes, as exemplified the sand gobies. However, diversity this group probably still underestimated. Several keys for gobiid identification, notably region, have been proposed on basis morphological characters, but difficulties persist in identification. Molecular phylogenies support monophyly gobies, relationships between genera remain poorly resolved. In work, evolutionary history gobies (Pomatoschistus Knipowitschia) were investigated applying phylogenetic reconstructions, delimitation tests, molecular dating based mitochondrial cytochrome b nuclear rhodopsin 1 genes. concatenation both genes allowed, first time, creation a highly resolved phylogeny at interspecific level. generic within considerably higher than formerly assumed. Our results highlight cryptic suggest that new be described Knipowitschia Pomatoschistus. Most all, our emphasized urgent need taxonomic revision past events origin goby diversification region. It seems glacial periods promoted intraspecific species, whereas interglacial (re)colonization more widespread species.