Trnski et al.: Larval development of Macquana colonorum and M novemaculeata 



193 



ger between Pe. (currently Macquaria) colonorum and 

 Pe. (Macquaria) novemaculeata (similarity coefficient 

 0.95), and M. australasica and PL {Macquaria) am- 

 bigua (0.71) than between the Percolates and Macquaria 

 + Plectroplites (0.63) (MacDonald, 1978). The species 

 of Percolates are euryhaline, whereas Macquaria and 

 Plectroplites are strictly freshwater. This fact, combined 

 with the difference in larval morphological features be- 

 tween Macquaria ambigua (Brown and Neira, 1998) and 

 M. colonorum and M. novemaculeata, provides evidence 

 that the genus Macquaria as defined by MacDonald 

 may be polyphyletic. Recent phylogenetic analysis of 

 the Percichthyidae with the use of molecular data in- 

 dicates that M. colonorum and M. novemaculeata are 

 more closely related to Maceullochella species than to 

 Macquaria (sensu stricto) (Jerry et al., 2001). Molecular 

 and larval evidence indicates the two catadromous spe- 

 cies (M. colonorum and M. novemaculeata) belong in a 

 genus separate from the freshwater species (M. ambigua 

 and M. australasica). 



Acknowledgments 



Comments by Dave Johnson, Jeff Leis, and Tony Miskie- 

 wicz improved the manuscript. Sue Bullock illustrated 

 the larvae from camera lucida sketches by TT Glen Searle 

 provided information on spawning habits that aided 

 interpretation of larval distributions. Mark McGrouther 

 provided access to specimens held in the Fish Collection 

 at the Australian Museum (AMS). Larval collections in 

 the field were supported by funds from Lake Macquarie 

 City Council. Preparation of this paper was supported 

 by a NSW Government Biodiversity Enhancement Grant 

 to AMS, and by AMS. 



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