Since then, molecular phylogenetics has found that it also includes odacines and the genus Pseudodax.

[1] Westneat & Alfaro (2005) and Hughes et al (2022) found that the hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) is the sister group to all other hypsigenyine wrasses.

However, neither study examined the natal wrasse (Anchichoerops natalensis),[1][2] which was recovered as the actual sister group to all other hypsigenyine wrasses by Balwin et al (2023).

[5] The Italian fossil wrasse †Phyllopharyngodon is strongly supported to be a hypsigenyine because it features such teeth,[5] and is about 50 million years old, dating to the Eocene.

[1] A. viridis B. pulchellus C. cauteroma D. puellaris L. maximus P. cruentum P. moluccanus T. rubrovittatus clade H. semifasciata H. acroptilus N. balteatus O. pullus O. cyanomelas S. beddomei S. argyrophanes