Abstract
A rapid and reliable method of dolphinfish species identification was designed based on PCR amplification of diagnostic DNA fragments from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. It consisted in a tetraplex reaction producing a positive control amplicon and species-specific fragments in Coryphaena hippurus and C. equiselis. It was successfully tested in specimens of known identity and in nominal C. hippurus samples among which two C. equiselis were discovered. This approach has significant advantages over other molecular species identification methods and may help in determining species composition of mixed catches, and in forensic and food control applications of dolphinfish specimens or products.
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Acknowledgments
We thank R. Cardeña (U. del Mar, Mexico), J. Hyde and R.D. Vetter (NOAA-SWFSC, USA) for kindly contributing tissue samples. Financial support came from grant SAGARPA-CONACYT 2003-C01-42. J.P. Chávez González was financed by the “Programa Delfin,” which is gratefully acknowledged. We thank M. Bobadilla, J. Sandoval, and N. Saavedra for technical support. All experiments reported comply with the current laws of Mexico.
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Rocha-Olivares, A., Chávez-González, J.P. Molecular identification of dolphinfish species (genus Coryphaena) using multiplex haplotype-specific PCR of mitochondrial DNA. Ichthyol Res 55, 389–393 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0040-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-008-0040-7