Re description and molecular identification of Thalamita danae (Stimpson 1858) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Portunidae) based on fresh material from the coastal waters, Pakistan

Abstract

Thalamita danae (Stimpson1858), re-described as a new report, based on an integrative taxonomy approach combining 16S rRNA partial sequence of mitochondrial DNA and morphological analyses was used for the accurate identification of specimens. The morphological and molecular analysis provides the confirm evidence of T. danae in coastal waters of Pakistan. Results were confirmed by amplification of partial sequences of 16S rRNA mt-DNA gene and the sequence was searched for similarity using BLASTn (Basic Local Alignment Tool), the result showed 97% sequence similarity with partial sequences of T. danae Stimpson, 1858 as obtained from gene bank. The attained sequence was submitted to gene bank after confirmation of genetic and morphological similarity. High sequence similarity with accession no: FJ152165.1 indicated, that misidentification of species does not occur.

Keywords:

• Brachyura
• systematics
• molecular phylogeny
• mt DNA
• Pakistan coast

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was mainly funded through the Higher Education Commission [Project no. 1673/R&D/10] and gratefully acknowledged and cooperation of MRCC staff to provide material for morphological comparative study.