MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYLOGENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF DAPHNIA FROM THE HIGH-ALTITUDE BRACKISH (PANGONG) LAKE OF LADAKH USING DNA BARCODING

Abstract

Daphnia on the Tibetan Plateau has been little studied, and information on species diversity and biogeography is lacking. Our study is the pioneer to conrm the presence of the Daphnia lineage in Pangong lake situated in eastern Ladakh (UT). We identied the sample specimen both on the basis of morphological and molecular data. Through morphological characteristics using SEM, simple compound microscopy and cellular phone microscope we identied our specimen which showed maximum morphological similarity with the Family Daphniidae using taxonomic keys. Further, using DNA barcoding a fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene and 16S rRNA gene was amplied and phylogenetic analysis was carried out to determine the position of specimen in crustacean classication and the specimen was identied as Daphnia tibetana in both the cases.