Genetic identification of grouper fishes (Perciformes: Serranidae: Epinephelus) through DNA barcoding from Nizampatnam coastal waters

DNA barcoding of grouper fishes (Perciformes: Serranidae: Epinephelus)

Abstract

Groupers (Epinephelus) are a wide-ranging group of ecologically and economically significant fishes with a controversial classification due to external morphological overlap. The diversity of marine species was mostly highlighted by barcoding and phylogenetic research from diverse parts of the world to establish the taxonomic ambiguities. Here, we concentrated on Epinephelus (grouper) species from Nizampatnam coastal waters, a biogeographic region has no Epinephelus species have been genetically identified. The partial gene of mtCOI used to identify five Epinephelus species. Genetic distance was on the average between 0.104 and 0.170. The COI gene's average percentage (%) of nucleotide base composition across five species is T - 29.36; C – 27.88; A – 24.83; and G – 17.93. Test of substitution saturation values, ISS: 0.141; ISS.C: 0.734; T value 32.64 and DF value 604. With respective reference sequences, the phylogenetic analysis from Neighbor-joining tree displayed with distinct clades for five species of Epinephelus. Barcoding Gap Investigation, analysis confirmed that all 5 sequences represented five taxonomic units (OTUs) and determined with initial and recursive partitions based on Prior intra-specific divergence value P – 0.0359- 0.0599. This study established first ever documentation of DNA barcodes for groupers (Epinephelus) in this area, as well as expansion for the Indian and global records of barcode.