A Review on DNA Barcoding on Fish Taxonomy in India

Abstract

DNA barcoding has been advanced as an efficient tool to develop for species identification and discovery through the use of short, standardized mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene region. Fishes are a highly diverse group of vertebrates; the identification of fish species through DNA Barcoding will provide new perspectives in ecology and systematics of fish taxonomy. Despite extensive traditional taxonomic studies, for a variety of reasons the identification of fishes can be problematic and time taking process, even for experts. In these contexts, DNA barcoding tool is proving to be useful information on species identification in gene level. In connection with this, the Fish Barcode of Life campaign (FISH-BOL), an international research collaboration centre, was established for all fishes’ DNA barcode library for reference sequences and to monitor the DNA barcode project progress in regional level. The DNA barcode sequence from any specimen’s fish tissue, fin, egg or larva can be matched against these reference sequences retrieved from NCBI and BOLD system for species discrimination/identification. This chapter’s aim was to investigate current status of fish barcode, approaches and future direction of DNA barcoding in fisheries sciences. Further, the current status of barcoding studies with reference to fish taxonomy in India is evaluated and a detailed review on existing literature is carried out at worldwide, national and regional level. The study results elucidated that marine invertebrates’ DNA barcode study is at infancy stage in India.