Short communication: Conservation genetic of tropical eel in Indonesian waters based on population genetic study

Abstract

Fahmi MR. 2015. Conservation genetic of tropical eel (Anguilla spp.) in Indonesian waters based on population genetic study.Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 1 (1): 38-43. The Indonesian tropical eels become important nowadays in the market, as well as the research on tropical eels also become a new challenge. Taxonomy of tropical eels is still problematic due to overlapping morphological characters, thus species identification based on those characters can be misleading. Molecular approaches have been proposed to resolve the problem. The semi-multiplex method proposed in this study has demonstrated the efficiency for identifying seven species and subspecies of tropical eels with only one step PCR. Based on semi-multiplex PCR, we recognized four species and subspecies with wide distribution: Anguilla bicolor bicolor, A. b. pacifica, A. marmorata and A. interioris, two species with limited distribution and close to endemism: A. celebesensis and A. borneensis and one subspecies A. nebulosa nebulosa that can only be found in the river flowing into the Indian Ocean. Based on mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene, seven species inhabiting in Indonesian waters showed higher haplotype and nucleotide diversity (Ï€) 0.98 and 4.57% respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that A. borneensis is likely the most basal species in Indonesia waters.