Abstract
Fish species belonging to the Sparidae family hold significant commercial value for Oman’s fisheries. Although 18 out of 132 known sparid species have been reported in Omani waters, accurate morphological identification remains challenging for many species. We used DNA barcoding based on cytochrome oxidase subunit І (COI) and 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) to identify commercially important sparid species. Sixty-three specimens were collected from three major Omani fisheries landings, namely Khasab, Suhar, and Salalah, spanning over 3165 km of coastline. Sequences of 16 S rRNA (521 bp) and COI (506 bp) identified 16 species by 16S rRNA, ten species by COI. Notably, Dentex gibbosus was reported for the first time in Omani waters. The identified 16 species, phylogenetically, belong to two genetically distinct groups. The interspecific genetic distances among species ranged from 0.011 to 0.279 based on 16S rRNA and 0.104–0.259 based on COI, indicating different groups within Omani waters. DNA barcoding provided high taxonomic resolution of sparid biodiversity in Oman and the surrounding region. Additionally, the study contributes to establishing a reference database for the Sparidae family of species from Oman.
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