Members of the genus Awaous are found in fresh, brackish, and marine waters from Africa to the Americas, showing a circumtropical distribution, mostly found in the Indo-West Pacific region. There is some controversy surrounding the taxonomy and phylogenetic composition of species of the genus Awaous. Here, we carried out a mitochondrial phylogenomic analysis on the genus Awaous including newly sequenced of Awaous jayakari and published mitogenomes towards elucidating the phylogenetic relationship of the genus. The result of the Bayesian reconstructed phylogenetic tree almost confirmed Watson’s traditional classification with three main groups/subgenera. Within Awaous, 10 clades, mainly corresponding to separate nominal species, are resolved. Based on the first mitochondrial COI gene sequences of Omani population and also the detailed morphology of specimens collected from Oman and southeast Iran, their comparison with the type specimens, the Omani and Iranian populations of snout goby are taxonomically assigned to Awaous jayakari. The phylogenetic analysis failed to recover A. banana, A. ocellaris, and A. grammepomus sequences as monophyletic clusters. Awaous jayakari is sister to Awaous sp._Bangladesh (PP = 0.33), and these two species form a clade that is set apart with low statistical support value (PP = 0.24) Awaous sp._Kaladan basin, NE India from. Awaous jayakari showed the lowest mean K2P distance values with Awaous sp. Bangladesh (0.76), A. aeneofuscus (0.80), and Awaous sp. Kaladan basin (0.82) and the highest K2P distance value with A. melanocephalus (0.257). Data on A. jayakari would offer particularly valuable information on the phylogeny, biogeography, and conservation of amphidromous Awaous species. A narrow distribution range, low population size, presence in dried areas (Wadis), unknown biology and ecology, introduction of exotic fish elements, dispersal limitation, and its unique genetic features make it one of the most important inland fish candidates in conservation and management programs in Oman.

Awaous属的成员生活在从非洲到美洲的淡水、微咸水和海水中，呈环热带分布，主要分布在印度-西太平洋地区。围绕Awaous属物种的分类学和系统发育组成存在一些争议。在这里，我们对Awaous属进行了线粒体系统发育分析，包括新测序的Awaous jayakari和已发表的有丝分裂基因组，以阐明该属的系统发育关系。贝叶斯重建的系统发育树的结果几乎证实了 Watson 传统的三个主要类群/亚属分类。在Awaous之内, 10 个进化枝，主要对应于单独的标称物种，被解析。根据阿曼种群的第一个线粒体COI基因序列以及从阿曼和伊朗东南部收集的标本的详细形态，将它们与模式标本的比较，将阿曼和伊朗的鼻子虾虎鱼种群分类为Awaous jayakari。系统发生分析未能恢复A.香蕉，A.公子，和A. grammepomus作为单系簇的序列。Awaous jayakari是Awaous sp._Bangladesh (PP = 0.33) 的姐妹，这两个物种形成一个进化枝，以低统计支持值 (PP = 0.24) 分开Awaous sp._Kaladan 盆地，印度东北部。Awaous jayakari显示出最低的平均 K2P 距离值与Awaous sp。孟加拉国 (0.76)、Aeneofuscus (0.80) 和Awaous sp。Kaladan 盆地 (0.82) 和与A. melanocephalus (0.257)的最高 K2P 距离值。A. jayakari 的数据将提供关于两栖类Awaous的系统发育、生物地理学和保护的特别有价值的信息物种。分布范围狭窄、种群规模小、存在于干旱地区 (Wadis)、生物学和生态学未知、外来鱼类元素的引入、扩散限制及其独特的遗传特征使其成为保护和管理中最重要的内陆鱼类候选者之一阿曼的节目。