Phylogenetic relationships between 16 species of Lake Baikal sculpin fish based on a nucleotide sequence analysis of a mitochondrial DNA fragment of the cytochrome b gene

: The fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from 16 species of Baikalian sculpins belonging to three families--Cottidae, Comephoridae and Abyssocottidae--was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were built from data obtained. Some disconformity were noted between systematical and phylogenetic notions of today and obtained results. For example, branch lengths among some Cottidae species are larger than among any different family species. Moreover, schemes indicate separate position of Limnocottus euristomus from Limnocottus genus species. Phylogenetic trees confirm earlier conclusions, about recent--in geological scales of times--origin of baikalian Cottoidei (2-2.5 Myr).