Genetic identification of istiophorid larvae from the Gulf of Mexico based on the analysis of mitochondrial DNA control region sequences

摘要

Assigning relative importance of spawning and nursery habitats for threatened and endangered teleosts, such as those seen in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), relies on the proper identification of the early life-history stages of the species of concern. Here, sequencing a portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region (CR) I as barcodes is recommended to identify istiophorid (billfish) larvae in the Atlantic Ocean because of its high resolution and the intrinsic value of the levels of genetic variation that can be extracted from these data. The universality of the primers employed here demonstrates their utility for not only the positive identification of istiophorids in the GoM, but for any larval teleost occurring in areas recognized as larval hotspots worldwide. (C) 2016 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles