Hyporthodus, Gill, 1861

Ma, Ka Yan & Craig, Matthew T., 2018, An Inconvenient Monophyly: An Update on the Taxonomy of the Groupers (Epinephelidae), Copeia 106 (3), pp. 443-456 : 449

Hyporthodus .

—The genus Hyporthodus was resurrected for 14 species ( H. darwinensis , H. haifensis , and H. perplexus included incertae sedis) of deep-bodied groupers that were recovered as monophyletic in Craig and Hastings (2007). It is characterized by having a deeper body, drab brown or olive coloration with or without dark bars on body, pelvic fins that insert immediately below or in front of the pectoral insertion, and an elongate, triangular foramen formed by the articulation between the cleithrum and the coracoids (circular foramen in Epinephelus ; Craig, 2005). Our analysis included all species of Hyporthodus with the exception of H. darwinensis and H. perplexus , two species which are only known from the type series, and was monophyletic with the inclusion of E. chabaudi , E. cifuentesi , E. drummondhayi , and the monotypic Triso dermopterus . Epinephelus chabaudi and E. cifuentesi share the characteristic deep body, pelvic fin insertion, and drab coloration of species of Hyporthodus and are clearly members of Hyporthodus . Epinephelus drummondhayi , however, does not share these characteristics and its placement within Hyporthodus is uncertain. We provisionally place E. drummondhayi as incertae sedis within Hyporthodus .

The inclusion of the monotypic Triso dermopterus in this clade was somewhat surprising as it has some particularly distinct morphological features that distinguish it from Hyporthodus . Randall et al. (1989) suggested that Triso is most closely related to species in the genus Paranthias , a logical conclusion as both Paranthias and Triso share a semi-pelagic lifestyle and are similar in shape. However, as with Paranthias , it appears that Triso is a second example within the groupers of an evolutionary transition from a bottomdwelling lifestyle to a more pelagic one and reflects remarkable convergent evolution. Our analysis also resolved a problematic relationship shown in Craig and Hastings (2007) and confirms the sister species relationship between the trans-isthmian H. niphobles and H. niveatus .