The Cytochrome Oxidase I gene confirms the presence of the nemertine Carcinonemertes conanobrieni, a parasite of the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) in Colombia

Abstract

Morphological identifications complemented with molecular analysis are important for the delimitation of cryptic species. This document contains annotations on the molecular identification of the parasitic nemertine Carcinonemertes conanobrieni in the Caribbean spiny lobsters Panulirus argus. The collected nemerteans were found parasitizing ovigerous lobsters from the Gulf of Salamanca (Puebloviejo), Colombia. DNA was extracted from a specimen and a fragment of the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) was amplified using Folmer’s universal primers, the sequence was edited with ProSeq 3.5 and aligned with all the C. conanobrienisequences available in GenBank. A sequence of 488 base pairs corresponding to the section of the genetic barcode of the COI gene was obtained, the matrix of genetic distances showed little variation when comparing the obtained sequence with those available in the GenBank database. These results confirm the presence of this nemertean in the Panulirus argus lobsters in Colombia providing valuable information for the correct identification and detection of this parasitic species in the country, thus facilitating its monitoring