ISSN (Online): 2456-6268
Journal of Fisheries and Life Sciences

Journal of Fisheries and Life Sciences

2021, Vol. 6 Issue 2, Part DECEMBER
Molecular phylogeny of a stranded Whale Shark from Tamil Nadu, India
Author(s): Vaishnavi Chandramouli, Abinaya Nadarajan, Pradeep Anbazhagan, Kanchana Rangasamy, Debasis Jana
Abstract: Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus Smith 1828) are the sole members of the Rhincodontidae family with the largest body size among elasmobranchs. Survival of whale sharks is threatened by unregulated worldwide fishing for illegal trade of fins, meat, oil, accidental collision with boats as well as excessive coastal pollution. The species is listed under IUCN Red List of threatened species, protected globally under Appendix II of CITES and protected nationally under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. One of the greatest challenges faced by enforcement agencies is to obtain concrete evidence in wildlife forensic cases of illegal poaching and wildlife trade, especially when samples obtained do not have morphologically distinguishable features. The present study used tissue sample obtained from necropsy of whale shark for genetic analysis. Amplification of partial mitochondrial DNA regions was carried out using three gene markers, Cytochrome b, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA to obtain nucleotide sequences for species identification, which could serve as reference sequences to aid in wildlife forensic cases. All generated sequences matched with R. typus sequences in NCBI-GenBank database with 98-100% sequence similarity. The sequence data generated using the three mitochondrial DNA genes, could serve as valuable additions to the limited number of R. typus nucleotide entries present in NCBI GenBank database
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