Abstract
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is a protected marine biota in Indonesia. Molecular identification of sperm whales from the Sawu Sea (East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia) was carried out using the 16S rRNA gene. This study aims to validate the species of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in Indonesia using the partial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The specimens used were tissue specimens from laboratory collections taken from Sawu Sea waters in 2014. The three samples were validated as Physeter microcephalus with 100% similarity. The base composition is dominated by the base thymine (31.7–31.8%) with a GC content of 42.7–42.8%. The genetic distance for the same species was 0.0015, while the highest genetic distance for Orcaella brevirostris was 0.2128. Molecular identification using the 16S rRNA gene and COI has validated the species of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in Indonesia so that this genetic data can be used as a basis for sperm whale resource management and conservation.
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