鱚科鱼类隶属于硬骨鱼纲、鲈形目，目前已命名者36种。由于鱚科鱼类分布广泛、种间形态差异较小、体色相近和研究的欠缺，导致学术界对该科物种认识严重不详和高度混乱。在国家自然科学基金项目的资助下，我们获取了国内外8千多尾样品，初步的研究表明仅中国沿海就存在多个新种和隐存种。本项目拟在广泛占有全球样本的基础上，对鱚科鱼类开展全面、系统的研究，研究内容包括：1）结合形态学和现代生物技术，全面完成对迄今未明种类现代水平的物种刻画，厘定种间、种内的分类学混乱；2）完成相关种类DNA库及标记基因分子信息库的构建，为该科鱼类的基因多样性、种群遗传学研究奠定基础；3）基于多基因联合分析，构建鱚科鱼类系统发育与演化关系；4）初步阐明鱚科鱼类多样性及其地理分布格局，预测鱚科鱼类潜在的适宜分布范围。本项目成果不仅旨在建立完善的世界鱚科鱼类分类系统，同时为海洋生物多样性研究、为鱼类资源的开发与保护提供科学依据。

Family Sillaginidae is a group of small to moderately sized percoid fishes with a high economic value, and comprises 36 species inhabiting coastal and estuarine ecosystems worldwide. Morphological similarity and a lack of research have resulted in confusions in their distribution, morphology and taxonomy. In this context, some efforts have been made since the last decade and over 8,000 specimens have been collected with the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The outcomes of our decade-long study suggest that several species of this family are either cryptic or undescribed. This project is designed to collect specimens around the world and then conduct a thorough revision of the family, including: (1) naming and describing undescribed species and clarifying valid species by reexamining the morphological and molecular characters of voucher specimens; (2) constructing DNA database and molecular database of marker genes of related species, which would be the foundation of the study on genetic diversity and population genetics of this family; (3) inferring the phylogenetic relationships of the family based on polygenic association analysis; (4) understanding the diversity and geo-distribution pattern of the species in this family to predict the potentially-adapted distribution ranges of Sillaginidaes. Expected outcomes of the project would not only revise the systematics of Sillaginidae but also provide important scientific basis for the research of marine biodiversity and exploitation and protection of fish resources.