Taxonomic relationships between four species of the Mullidae family revealed by three genetic methods: allozymes, random amplified polymorpic DNA and mitochondrial DNA

Genetic distances were lower between Upeneus moluccensis and Pseudopeneus prayensis than between those species and Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus. However, for allozymes, the two Mullus species were found genetically more distinct from U. moluccensis than from P. prayensis, but RAPD and mtDNA analysis showed the opposite. RAPDs revealed less interspecific divergence compared with allozymes and the results they produced were more consistent with mtDNA analysis. Although RAPDs did not add any supplementary taxonomic information, they proved valuable tools for quick and reliable species discrimination compared with allozymes and mtDNA.