Phylogenetic relationships of the sucker catfishes (Sisoridae) inferred from mitochondrial Cyt b gene sequences obtained from Genbank

The sucker catfishes with about 18 genera and 196 species have been classified intwo valid subfamilies of Sisorinae and Glyptosterninae. Several recent molecularphylogenetic studies of this family have investigated some aspects of their traditionaltaxonomy and cladistic hypotheses of their phylogeny. In this study, phylogeneticrelationships of 40 taxa of the sisorid catfishes were reconstructed using Cyt b genesequences obtained from NCBI. The sequences were aligned in Mega 5.0 and thenthe phylogenetic trees were constructed. The obtained topology using the MaximumLikelihood method, supports the morphological classification except that ofBagarius Bleeker, 1853, a member of Sisorinae that have recognized as a member ofGlyptosterninae. It has also been supported by recent available osteological studies.Based on these results, the numerous members of Glyptothorax Blyth (1860)comprise a monophyletic clade.

Keywords:

Sucker catfishes , Mitochondrial gene , Cyt b , Phylogenetics , Traditional taxonomy