title: Levels of genetic diversity and taxonomic status of Epinephelus species in United Arab Emirates fish markets.
abstract: Understanding the patterns of genetic diversity of fish species is essential for marine conservation and management. This is particularly important in the Arabian Gulf where marine life is subject to extreme environmental conditions that could impact genetic diversity. Here we assess genetic diversity of the most commercially important fish in the United Arab Emirates; groupers (Epinephelus spp.). Sequencing of 973 bp mitochondrial DNA from 140 tissue samples collected in four main fish markets revealed 58 haplotypes clustered within three groups. Data analysis revealed the presence of three distinct Epinephelus species being marketed as one species (hammour): Epinephelus coioides, Epinephelus areolatus and Epinephelus bleekeri. We report species-specific genetic markers and demonstrate that all three species exhibit relatively low levels of genetic variation, reflecting the effect of overfishing and environmental pressures. In light of the genetic evidence presented here, conservation and management of groupers in the UAE warrant the implementation of species-specific measures.
authors.affiliation: Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Remi N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Ketchum
authors.affiliation: Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Mame M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dieng
authors.affiliation: Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Grace O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.affiliation: Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: john.burt@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Burt
authors.affiliation: Biology Program, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: youssef.idaghdour@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Idaghdour
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006239:Haplotypes; D019156:Indian Ocean; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D019105:Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Technique; D013045:Species Specificity; D014479:United Arab Emirates
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S
keywords: 12s rRNA gene; Control region; Hammour; Overfishing; d-loop