New Mitochondrial Genomic Resources for the Freshwater Fishes of the Sanaga River (Cameroon)

The Sanaga River Basin in Cameroon harbors a rich and largely undocumented ichthyofaunal diversity. This study presents the first complete mitochondrial genome dataset for nine freshwater fish species from the basin, spanning four teleost orders: Siluriformes, Characiformes, Cypriniformes, and Cichliformes. A total of 39 specimens were sequenced using Illumina NovaSeq, and mitogenomes were assembled and annotated via a dedicated bioinformatic pipeline. Genome sizes ranged from 16,524 to 16,692 bp, with GC content between 42% and 47%. All mitogenomes exhibited conserved gene structure and order, while the control region (D-loop) showed notable size variation, consistent with patterns observed in other teleosts. Phylogenetic analyses based on 13 protein-coding genes and two rRNA genes revealed well-supported monophyletic clades for each species, confirming taxonomic assignments and validating morphological identifications. This work provides foundational genomic resources for Sanaga basin freshwater fishes and contributes to regional efforts in taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation.