Molecular taxonomy of Pseudapocryptes (Bleeker, 1874) mudskippers from Sundarban mangroves, India

Abstract

Background: More than 40 species of mudskipper is recorded worldwide, but the molecular taxonomy of very few species is studied so far.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the molecular taxonomy and phylogenetic relationship of the Pseudapocryptes elongatus and Pseudapocryptes lanceolatus collected from the mudflats of Sundarban, India.

Methods: The mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to analyze the molecular taxonomy. The species name associated with the present analyzed sequence as shown by BLAST searches of GenBank was used to define the phylogenetic relationship.

Results: Mitochondrial COI gene sequences of collected mudskippers were submitted to GenBank to get accession numbers. The BLAST search of GenBank matched 100% with the species name associated with the present analyzed sequence.

Conclusions: The present study reveals the phylogenetic similarity between the species.

• Mitochondrial COI gene sequence and Sundarban
• phylogenetic relationship
• Pseudapocryptes elongatus
• Pseudapocryptes lanceolatus

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Dean, Faculty of Marine Sciences & authorities of Annamalai University for the facilities and to the Ministry of Human Resource & Development (G4 (1)/1630/2013) (MHRD), New Delhi for the financial support. The authors also thank the fishermen's of Sundarban for helping us while sample collection.

Declaration of interest

The authors are declaring the present work has no conflict of interest.