Molecular identification of golden redfish (Sebastes norvegicus) in the White Sea

Abstract

The redfish species (genus Sebastes) are widely distributed across the North Atlantic and adjacent seas of the Arctic Ocean. It is also known that redfish sporadically occur in the White Sea as by-catches in targeted fisheries. However, to date, the information about species affinity, biology and ecology of the White Sea redfish is scarce and contradictory. Some researchers argued that redfish sporadically captured in the White Sea might belong to both Sebastes viviparus and Sebastes norvegicus. In this paper, we presented for the first time genetic analysis and new biological data of the White Sea redfish. We studied nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial control region (D-loop) and the second intron of the nuclear S7 ribosomal protein gene (RP2 S7) to clarify their species affinity. Results clearly demonstrate that the White Sea redfish belongs to S. norvegicus.