Abstract
The complete mitogenome can provide valuable genetic information to reconstruct relationships between species. In this study, we sequenced a stone loach, Homatula laxiclathra (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae), which is found in the northern region of the Qinling Mountains in China. The size of the H. laxiclathra mitogenome is 16,570 bp, which contains 37 typical mitochondrial genes including 13 protein‐coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, two ribosomal RNAs, and a control region (D‐loop) with a total AT content of 55.8%. This is similar to other Nemacheilidae sequences published in GenBank. Furthermore, a mito‐phylogenomic analysis of 46 Nemacheilidae species places H. laxiclathra in a robust monophyletic Homatula cluster with other Homatula species. Our results contribute toward a better understanding of a true phylogeny of these species based on large‐scale taxonomic samplings as well as to help grasp the evolution of fish mitogenomes.
Highlights
Mitochondrial DNA can provide valuable taxon information to reconstruct evolutionary relationships between species
The 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were concatenated to a combination
The complete mitogenome of H. laxiclathra is a circular molecule of 16,570 bp (Figure 2) and is deposited in the GenBank database under accession numbers MK279351
Summary
Mitochondrial DNA can provide valuable taxon information to reconstruct evolutionary relationships between species. Mitogenomes are widely used for molecular systematics, phylogeography and taxa identification due to their small and simple structure, rapid evolution, maternal inheritance, and high gene conservation (Boore, 1999). Loaches are small-bodied freshwater fishes, which are widely distributed across Eurasia, Africa, and North America. They are popular in China due to their distinctive flavor and diverse body color. Partial mtDNA genes from the Nemacheilidae have been used for species identification and systematics (Liu et al, 2012). The investigation of the H. laxiclathra mitogenome may provide valuable evidence about teleost evolution as well as aid in species identification
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call