Population genetic study on two commercial shrimp species and determining of DNA-Barcoding of 6 – 8 species by partial sequencing of mtDNA using molecular method (PCR-Sequencing)

Barcodes are short segments of DNA that can be used to uniquely identify an unknown specimen to species, particularly when diagnostic morphological features are absent. These sequences could offer a new forensic tool in plant and animal conservation especially for endangered species. Ideally, barcodes could be used to positively identify illegally obtained material even in cases where diagnostic features have been purposefully removed or to release confiscated organisms into the proper breeding population. In the present study molecular data were used besides the morphological ones to introduce a specific barcode for six selected species of Shrimp. Based on the previous phylogenetics study, it has been proved that the mitochondrial COI gene in crustacean is a good discriminative marker at both inter- and intra-specific levels. In this regard, six species of shrimp (Fenoro penaeus indicus, Fenoro penaeus merguensis, penaeus semisulcatus, Metapenaeus affinis, Marsupenaeus japonicas, Fenoro penaeus penicillatus were collected from the Persian Gulf and Oman sea. After identification, the total DNA was extracted; COI gene was first amplified and then sequenced for each species. Finally the collected data were analyzed with the specific phylogenetic software. Molecular analysis revealed some degree of interpopulation differences but six good species were recognizable based on COI sequences. Also for population study molecular data of two species Penaeus semisulcatus and Metapenaeus affinis were analysed base on COI RFLP and 16SrRNA sequences respectively. The results would be helpful to protect shrimp species.

Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute

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