Sequence Analysis and Molecular Phylogeny of 16S rRNA Gene Fragments in Four Species of the Penaeid Shrimps from the Sudanese Red Sea

Abstract

Penaeid shrimps are of biological and economic importance and are highly in demand for human consumption. Four species of the penaeid decapod crustaceans, Finneropenaeus indicus , Penaeus monodon , P. semisulcatus and Metapenaeus monoceros were studied. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity were combined to assess the phylogenetic relationships of the penaeid shrimp species and populations of the Finneropenaeus indicus . Shrimp specimens were collected at different locations of Baaboud and Alkhairat aquafarms and from the wild. Phylogenetic relationships among the penaeid shrimp species and genetic diversity of F. indicus populations were assessed using partial mtDNA 16S rRNA gene (480 bp). Genetic distances among the species were done. The Genetic differentiation between F. indicus population (Baaboud –Alkhairat; Baaboud-Wild; Alkhairat- Wild) was found 0.10957, 0.12459 and 0.14817 respectively. No clear indication of differentiation between 16S rRNA tree branches of the populations of Alkhairat and Baaboud from the wild population, which may be attributed to the common collection sites of brood stocks and/or post larvae (PL’s) besides the absence of hydrological and physical barriers. M. monoceros formed a distant sister taxon to all other Penaeus species.