Genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationship of 11 Asian Sisorinae genera (Siluriformes: Sisoridae) with new record of <i>Pseudolaguvia foveolata</i>

Studies on <i>Sisorinae</i> systematics have been largely restricted to morphological data with few studies on examination of phylogenetic relations. However, no study has been done to evaluate genetic distance of the genera under <i>Sisorinae</i> sub-family and detailed phylogenetic relations within it. We used nuclear recombination activating 2 (<i>rag2</i>) gene and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (<i>COI</i>) gene from 64 species to examine genetic differentiation and phylogenetic relationships within 11 Asian <i>Sisorinae</i> genera. The range of interspecies K2P distance for <i>rag2</i> was 0–0.061 and <i>COI</i> was 0–0.204. Phylogenetic analysis based on maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian (BI) approaches for each locus individually and for the concatenated <i>rag2</i> and <i>COI</i> sequences revealed three major subclades viz. Bagariini, Sisorini and Erethistini under subfamily Sisorinae. The analysis based on <i>COI</i> gene showed ((Sisorini, Bagariini), Erethistini) relationship. <i>Rag</i>2 and combined <i>rag2</i> and <i>COI</i> showed ((Sisorini, Erethistini), Bagariini) relationship. Combined <i>rag</i>2 and <i>COI</i> analyses resulted into better resolved trees with a good bootstrap support. In this study, new record of <i>Pseudolaguvia foveolata</i> (Erethistini) has been documented based on 13 specimens collected from Torsa River, Jaldapara, Alipurduar district, West Bengal, India (26°43′44.66″ N and 89°19′32.34″ E), extending its distribution range in Brahmaputra drainage, India. The genetic distance between the <i>P. foveolata</i> new record and the reported <i>P. foveolata</i> (holotype: UMMZ 244867) was 0.00 at both <i>rag2</i> and <i>COI</i> locus and it was further grouped with <i>P. foveolata</i> Type specimen (holotype: UMMZ 244867) with 100% bootstrap support. This report gives additional information on occurrence of the species <i>P. foveolata</i>, along with discussion on morphometric, meristic and molecular (<i>COI</i> and <i>rag2</i> gene) data.