ALLEN: GOBIESOCIFORMES 633 



Table 168. Adult Characteristics for 18 Species of Gobiesocids for which Larvae are Known Arranged by Subfamily (Briggs, 1955). 



gions of the world). The relationships among the subfamilies 

 were based pnmaiily on four characters: the number of gill 

 arches; gill membrane state; type of suction disc and dentition 

 type. 



In my opinion, the evolutionary scheme presented in Briggs 

 (1955) is in drastic need of revision from a cladistic viewpoint. 

 The independent derivation of the single suction disc and mixed 

 derived character states in several divergent evolutionary lines, 

 plus the "evolution" of one subfamily from another through 

 primitive and derived genera are particularly troubling aspects 

 of his analysis. 



Gosline (1970) was first to include the Callionymidae, Dra- 

 conettidae and Gobiesocidae in the order Gobiesociformes. Ac- 

 cording to Gosline (1970) the three families share a number of 

 characteristics including a scaleless head and body, no circum- 

 orbital bones behind lacrimal, articular processes of the pre- 



maxillae, as well as others (see Gosline, 1970: 365 and 377). 

 These similarities coupled with evidence that, in Gosline's words, 

 "the Gobiesocidae has evolved from the notothenoid section of 

 the perciform suborder Blennioidei and in small part at least 

 over the same route as the draconettids and callionymids" form 

 the basis for including all three families in the order Gobiesoc- 

 iformes. 



Greenwood et al, (1966) placed the Gobiesociformes which 

 included only the Gobiesocidae mto the superorder Paracan- 

 thopterygii in their provisional classification of teleostean fishes. 

 Apparently this placement was based on a relationship between 

 batrachoidids and gobiesocids proposed by Briggs (1955) and 

 McAllister (1968), although Briggs did note some resemblance 

 between the Gobiesocidae and the Callionymoidea. Gosline 

 (1970) believed that characteristics held in common by gobie- 

 socoid and batrachoid fishes (e.g., the usually scaleless body. 



Fig. 336. Representative larvae of seven genera within the Gobiesocidae: (A) Comdens taticephalus. 5.5 mm (from Shiogaki and Dotsu, 

 1971d); (B) Trachelochismus melobesia. 7.8 mm (after Ruck, 1971); (C) Lepadogaster lepadogaster. 6.0 mm (after Russell, 1976); (D) Apletodon 

 microcephalus. 4.5 mm (after Russell, 1976); (E) Dtplecogaster bimaculata. 6.5 mm (after Russell, 1976); (F) Diplocrepis puniceus. 7.7 mm (after 

 Ruck, 1973b); and (G) Gastrocyathus gracilis. 6.9 mm (after Ruck, 1976). 



