Molecular Identification of Delphinids and Finless Porpoise (Cetacea) from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal

Jayasankar, P and Anoop, B and Reynold, P and Krishnakumar, P K and Kumaran, P L and Afsal, V V and Anoop, A K (2008) Molecular Identification of Delphinids and Finless Porpoise (Cetacea) from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Zootaxa, 1853. pp. 57-67.

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Abstract

The exact number of extant delphinid species from seas around India is still debated and the lack of adequate field keys and reliable inventory has resulted in misidentification of several species. As a part of a project to develop a molecular taxonomy of cetaceans from this region, partial sequences of mtDNA cytochrome b were generated from accidentally caught/stranded delphinids and finless porpoise. Species were identified by phylogenetic reconstruction of sample sequences with the reference sequences available in portals GenBank (NCBI) and the web-based program DNA Surveillance. A comparison was made with the homologous sequences of corresponding species from other seas of the world. Our molecular investigations allowed us to identify five species of cetaceans from Indian coasts, including Delphinus capensis, previously reported as D. delphis. We detected unique haplotypes in Indo pacific humpbacked dolphin (Sousa chinensis; n = 2) and finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides; n = 12) from Indian coast. On the other hand, some haplotypes were shared with other regional populations in spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris; n = 16) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus; n = 3). Common dolphins (Delphinus capensis; n = 2) had both unique and shared haplotypes including one highly divergent sequence.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Delphinids; finless porpoise; mitochondrial DNA; molecular taxonomy; haplotypes
Subjects: Marine Mammals
Marine Mammals > Porpoises
Divisions: CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Biodiversity Division
Subject Area > CMFRI > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Biodiversity Division
CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Biodiversity Division
Subject Area > CMFRI-Kochi > Marine Biodiversity Division
Depositing User: Arun Surendran
Date Deposited: 26 Oct 2010 09:55
Last Modified: 09 Sep 2015 15:34
URI: http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/id/eprint/5703

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