Identification of three Asian Hediste species (Polychaeta: Nereididae) by PCR-RFLP analysis of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene

Abstract

An easy polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis was designed to identify the three morphologically similar nereidid polychaete species Hediste atoka, Hediste diadroma and Hediste japonica which often dominate in estuarine macrobenthic fauna in eastern Asia. Restriction digestion analysis of the PCR products of the partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene (approximately 600 bp) of these three species, using EcoRV and TspEI endonucleases, generated species-specific restriction patterns. The PCR-RFLP method enables easy and accurate identification of the three Hediste species.