Complete mitochondrial genome of Lepidocephalichthys berdmorei and its phylogenetic status within the family Cobitidae (Cypriniformes)

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of <i>Lepidocephalichthysberdmorei</i> was first determined by the primer walking sequence method. The complete mitochondrial genome was 16,574 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and a control region (D-loop). The gene arrangement pattern was identical to that of other teleosts. The overall base composition was 29.9% A, 28.5% T, 25.5% C, and 16.1% G, with an A+T bias of 58.4%. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses were conducted based on 13 PCGs from the mitochondrial genomes of 18 cobitid species using with three different methods (Neighbor-joining, Maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference). All methods consistently showed that the four species of the genus <i>Lepidocephalichthys</i> form a monophyletic group. This study would provide effective molecular information for the <i>Lepidocephalichthys</i> species as well as novel genetic marker for the study of species identification.