DNA Barcoding of Fish in Mischief Reef—Fish Diversity of a Reef Fish Community From Nansha Islands

Development of effective conservation and management strategies requires assessments of ecosystem biodiversity status, especially in understudied hotspots of global fish diversity. Coral reefs are important habitats for fishes, with biodiversity hotspots known globally. We present the first data on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in Marine Science 2021-01, Vol.7
Main Authors: Shan, Binbin, Liu, Yan, Yang, Changping, Zhao, Yu, Zhang, Gongjun, Wu, Qiaer, Sun, Dianrong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atolls
Biodiversity
Biodiversity hot spots
COI gene
COI protein
Conservation
Coral reefs
Cryptic species
Cytochrome
Cytochrome-c oxidase
Cytochromes
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA barcoding
Ecosystem assessment
Ecosystem management
Ethics
Fish
Fish diversity
Fisheries
Fishing
Genetic distance
Hot spots
Islands
Laboratory animals
Marine fishes
Mischief reef
Mitochondria
Morphology
Nansha Islands
Reef fishes
Software
Species
Species diversity
Taxonomy
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Summary:Development of effective conservation and management strategies requires assessments of ecosystem biodiversity status, especially in understudied hotspots of global fish diversity. Coral reefs are important habitats for fishes, with biodiversity hotspots known globally. We present the first data on molecular diversity of fishes of Mischief Reef, the largest atoll in the Nansha Islands. Partial sequences (650 bp) of mitochondrial COI gene (Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) are used to identify 209 individuals, representing 101 species, referable to 62 genera, 27 families, 8 orders, and 1 class. The most abundant orders are the Perciformes (176 specimens, 84.21%), Tetraodontiformes (13 specimens, 6.22%), and Beryciformes (13 specimens, 6.22%). Mean Kimura 2-Parameter genetic distances within genera, families, and orders are 4.51, 13.90, and 17.63%, respectively. We record Monotaxis heterodon from this region for the first time—a species that may previously have been misidentified as M. grandoculis . In addition, we recognized possible cryptic species of Lethrinus olivaceus based on significantly diverging barcode sequences. Barcode data provide new insights into fish diversity of Mischief Reef, important for developing further researches on this fauna, and for its conservation.
ISSN:2296-7745
2296-7745
DOI:10.3389/fmars.2020.618954