Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Endemic Catfish Mystus Albolineatus Roberts, 1994 (Bagridae) and Its Phylogenetic Relationship

Background: Mystus albolineatus Roberts, 1994, is an endemic bagrid catfish species distributed across Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Despite its ecological and taxonomic significance, the complete mitochondrial genome of this species has not been widely reported, limiting our understanding of its genetic composition and evolutionary relationships. This study aimed to sequence, annotate the complete mitogenome of M. albolineatus , and determine its phylogenetic position within the Bagridae family. Methods: Muscle tissue from M. albolineatus was collected in Can Tho Province, Vietnam. Genomic DNA was extracted using a commercial purification kit, and sequencing was performed on an Illumina MiSeq platform. The obtained reads were assembled de novo using NOVOPlasty, and gene annotation was conducted using the MITOS2. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the maximum likelihood method based on 13 protein-coding genes from 24 ingroups of Bagridae species and two outgroups of Cyprinidae . Results: The complete mitogenome of M. albolineatus was 16,574 bp in length and encoded 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes. The overall GC content was 41.1%. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that M. albolineatus is closely related to Mystus gulio and Mystus cavasius and forms a distinct clade within Mystus . Conclusions: This study provides the first complete mitochondrial genome of M. albolineatus and contributes to the growing catfish mitogenome database. The findings enhance our understanding of its phylogenetic relationships and serve as a foundation for future research in taxonomy, conservation genetics, and evolutionary biology.