title: DNA barcoding of Mobulid Ray Gill Rakers for Implementing CITES on Elasmobranch in China.
abstract: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has been counted on for conserving threatened marine fish since it regulates the commercial international trade of these species. Implementation of the international treaty for Mantas included on CITES Appendix II is challenging due to insufficient information on species identification and markets management. To fill the gap in such aspects, we identified five species of Mobulid rays (Mobula spps. and Manta spp) by using COI and NADH2 mtDNA markers in dried ray gill rakers from Chinese markets, namely, Mobula japonica (representing 54.8% of the sample set), M. tarapacana (14.4%), M. kuhlii (13.3%), M. thurstoni (6.4%), along with Manta birostris (11.2%; CITES Appendix II). The utilization and conservation statuses of these species were discussed. Based on combination of DNA barcodes and key morphological characters, we developed a three-step process for identifying the gill rakers of Mobulid rays which has been adopted by frontline enforcement in China. We hope that our work can serve as a foundation and basis to reinforce objectives of international treaties, regulation of consumer-driven markets, regional cooperation, and national fishery management on endangered elasmobranchs in China as well as related countries.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.|Endangered Species Scientific Commission, People's Republic of China, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: CITES Management Authority, People's Republic of China, Beijing, 100714, China.
authors.forename: Zhongze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Chunguang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.|Endangered Species Scientific Commission, People's Republic of China, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Zhibin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.|Endangered Species Scientific Commission, People's Republic of China, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D056727:Endangered Species; D005880:Gills / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D038622:Internationality; D012860:Skates, Fish / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity