Genetic Confirmation of the Striped Eel Catfish Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg, 1787) from Iskenderun Bay (Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye)

Abstract

The records of the striper eel catfish Plotosus lineatus have been assigned based on morphological characters in the Mediterranean Sea. However, molecular and genetic analyses are needed to confirm the morphological taxonomic determination and avoid misidentification. In this study, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene region was used for genetic confirmation of Plotosus lineatus in the Mediterranean Sea. The obtained P. lineatus sequences were found to have a 100% identity match with the Red Sea and Mediterranean records. The present molecular genetic study confirms the presence of P. lineatus in Turkish marine waters. Also, this study is the first genetic confirmation of P. lineatus on the coast of Türkiye and in the Mediterranean Sea.

Keywords

• Plotosus lineatus
• Genetic confirmation
• Eel catfish
• Invasive species
• mtDNA COI

Çizgili Yılan Balığının Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg, 1787) İskenderun Körfezi’nden (Doğu Akdeniz, Türkiye) Genetik Doğrulaması

Abstract

Çizgili yılan balığı Plotosus lineatus'un Akdeniz'deki kayıtları morfolojik karakterlere dayanılarak belirlenmiştir. Bununla birlikte, morfolojik taksonomik belirlemeyi doğrulamak ve yanlış tanımlamayı önlemek için moleküler ve genetik analizlere ihtiyaç duyulmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Akdeniz'deki Plotosus lineatus'un genetik doğrulaması için mitokondriyal sitokrom c oksidaz alt ünite I (COI) gen bölgesi kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen P. lineatus dizilerinin Kızıldeniz ve Akdeniz kayıtları ile %100 örtüştüğü tespit edilmiştir. Mevcut moleküler genetik çalışma ile P. lineatus'un Türk deniz sularındaki varlığını doğrulamaktadır. Ayrıca, bu çalışma P. lineatus'un Türkiye kıyılarında ve Akdeniz'de ilk genetik doğrulamasıdır.

Keywords

• Plotosus lineatus
• Genetik doğrulama
• Yılan balığı
• İstilacı tür
• mtDNA COI

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