Phylogenetic Relationships and the Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism in Chaenopsid Blennies (Blennioidea: Chaenopsidae)

木瓜科的鱼类大约有60种，主要是热带鱼类，特别值得注意的是它们在雄性和雌性之间的解剖差异的不同模式。本研究将通过对这些特征的分析来研究该科内26个物种的进化关系。这一方法将解决木瓜足类内的几个分类争议，提供其性别二态特征变化的历史模式的详细研究，并与早期对木瓜足目动物生态学的研究一起，对两性之间明显形态差异的进化的替代假设进行评估。

Blennies of the family Chaenopsidae number about 60 species of primarily tropical fishes and are particularly notable for their varied patterns of anatomical differences between males and females. This study will investigate the evolutionary relationships of 26 species within the family by analysis of these traits. This approach will address several taxonomic controversies within chaenopsids, provide a detailed study of the historical patterns of change in their sexually dimorphic traits, and, together with earlier studies on the ecology of chaenopsids, permit evaluation of alternative hypotheses for the evolution of conspicuous morphological differences between the sexes.