The identity and distribution of striped bagrid catfish, Mystus tengara (Hamilton 1822) revealed through integrative taxonomy.

Abstract

In the present study, an integrated taxonomic approach has been applied to clarify the taxonomic status, identity and distribution of bagridcatsh, Mystus tengara. Comparative morphometric evaluation of M. tengara identied in the present study from distant geographicallocation revealed variations of the traits in response to body length and environment, without signicant genetic distance. The observedmorphometric traits of M. tengara were found to be overlapping with available morphometric traits of M. tengara, M. carcio and M. vittatus.Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene also could not resolve their identity, andve paraphyletic clades comprising of M. tengara, M. vittatus and M. carcio from India, Nepal and Bangladeshwere observed. Morphologicaland genetic evidence along withcomparative evaluation of M. tengara, from its type locality, we consider M. tengara identied in the presentstudy to be true, with its distribution extending from North East India to West Bengal, North India, Central India, Northern peninsular India andBangladesh. The observation of paraphyletic subclade and evaluation of genetic distance between subclades reveals, there could be at leastfour cryptic species in this group. Further conrmation on the identity of M. vittatus and M. carcio, by integrated taxonomic approach basedon fresh specimens collected from type locality, is required.