DNA barcoding of Cynoglossus arel using mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes

DNA barcoding is not a substitute for taxonomy; however, it does provide a powerful tool to aid species identifications and focus on future taxonomic research efforts. In the present study, an attempt is made to identify and validate Cynoglossus arel collected from the Mangalore coast by DNA barcoding using mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA genes. The primer pairs used in the study could successfully amplify 646 bp segment of COI and 616 bp segment of 16S rRNA gene in C. arel. The K2P average genetic distance calculated among species in the Cynoglossidae family was 0.22 and 0.09 among COI and 16S rRNA sequences respectively. This study makes an essential contribution to the NCBI database as this work provides the first 16S rRNA gene sequence for C. arel in the database. The COI and 16S rRNA gene sequences of C. arel and related species in phylogenetic analysis segregated Family Cynoglossidae into one Glade and the outgroup (Family Tetraodontidae) as another clads.