Origins of Saffron Cod and Navaga (Eleginus)

Saffron Cod (Eleginus gracilis) and Navaga (E. navaga) share a distinctive expansion of the parapophyses of the anterior vertebrae. Molecular evidence confirms that they are sister species, but also shows that they are more closely related to the Pacific Tomcod (Microgadus proximus) than that species is to Atlantic Tomcod (M. tomcod). Eleginus should be synonymized with Microgadus. M. proximus and M. (Eleginus) gracilis are independent invasions of the Pacific basin (cf. Carr et al. 1999).