Genetic variation and phylogenetic analysis of the genus Puntius (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) and related species

Choudhury, Sandip and Kashyap, Briyanka (2025) Genetic variation and phylogenetic analysis of the genus Puntius (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) and related species. ECOCYCLES, 11 (1). pp. 74-82. ISSN 24162140

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Abstract

Fishes of the genus Puntius under the family Cyprinidae and related species is a complex group in terms of taxonomy and evolutionary relationships. The genus has been revised multiple times yet the taxonomic status of many of these species is still obscure. The use of molecular markers provided new insights and a more accurate resolution of puntid systematics. In this study, mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequence variation and phylogenetic analysis were conducted for twenty-nine barbin fishes under the genus Puntius and relatives (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidiae). The sequences were investigated to estimate nucleotide composition, nucleotide diversity, transition-transversion bias, genetic distance and phylogenetic relationship. From the sequence analysis, it was found that the average (A+T) content was more than the average (G+C) content. The nucleotide diversity (Pi), the transition-transversion bias (R) and the mean genetic distance were found to be 0.06897, 2.46 and 0.055 respectively. From the maximum likelihood and neighbour joining analysis, four major clusters/groups were recovered – the Pethia, the Puntius, the Systomus and the Dawkinsia. The findings of the present study support the division of the genus Puntius into distinct lineages recognisable as genera and the reassignment of certain puntid species to other genera. The present study also resolved the status of some of the puntid species which was not reported in earlier studies. The findings are crucial for taxonomy, understanding evolutionary relationships and conservation of these species.

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