DNA Barcoding of Dominant Species in the Sardine Fishery of Northern Mindanao

Abstract

DNA barcoding was done to identify the dominant species of sardines that comprised the landed catch of the sardine fishery in the Northern Mindanao Region (NMR), and juveniles or "lupoy" in the Northern Zamboanga Peninsula (NZP). Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) minibarcodes were sequenced for all samples, while 16S ribosomal subunit sequences were obtained from a subset of samples. In reference to a previously reported land catch survey, sequence data confirmed the identity of the most dominant sardines in NMR and lupoy from NZP as Sardinella lemuru. Meanwhile, those reported as S. gibbosa were identified as Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus, while those reported as S. pacifica were identified as the recently described S. goni. Results highlight: 1) the limitation in identifying sardines during land catch surveys without further taxonomic verification, and 2) the utility of DNA barcoding as a tool for species identification. Moreover, genetic data revealed that S. goni occurs in the fisheries of NMR, thereby expanding its known habitat range. Since this study was limited only in using DNA barcodes for identification, a detailed morphological examination of the dominant sardines is recommended.