Complete mitochondrial genomes of eight seahorses and pipefishes (Syngnathiformes: Syngnathidae): insight into the adaptive radiation of syngnathid fishes.

Our study indicated that syngnathid fishes experienced an adaptive radiation process during the early explosion of species. Syngnathid mitochondrial OXPHOS genes appear to exhibit depressed Ka/Ks ratios compared with those of other teleosts, and this may suggest that their mitogenomes have experienced strong selective constraints to eliminate deleterious mutations.