| Research Abstract |
Japanese bitterlings (Acheilognathinae, Cyprinidae) were classified into 3 genera, Tanakia, Acheilognathus and Rhodeus, by cladistic analysis (Arai, 1988, Arai and Akai, 1988). It is the purpose of this project to test availability of this classification for bitterlings of the World.
At first, as a classification of Chinese bitterlings was incomplete, then we had to borrow type specimens from natural history museums in Europe and U.S.A.Secondarily, we collected fresh specimens of Chinese bitterlings (Arai et al., 1995), and several scientific names of species were synonymized (Akai and Arai, 1998). Thirdly, karyotypes of several species were examined (Ueda et al., 1996 : Ueda et al., 1997). Fourthly, comparative anatomy, especially sensory canal system interrelationships were reconstructed by cladistic analysis. On the other hand, 12S rDNA in mitochondria was also studied, and molecular phylogenetics of bitterlings from Japan, Korea, China and Europe was reconstructed by most parsimonious, neighbor joining, and maximum likelihood analyzes. In conclusion, 3 genera of the subfamily Acheilognathinae were useful for bitterlings from China, Korea and Europe.
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