DNA and eDNA-based tracking of the North African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus

Publication date: Available online 20 February 2020Source: Molecular and Cellular ProbesAuthor(s): Aya Ibrahim Elberri, Asmaa Galal-Khallaf, Sarah Emad Gibreel, Said Fathallah El-Sakhawy, Islam El-Garawani, Sobhy El-Sayed Hassab ElNabi, Khaled Mohammed-GebaAbstractThe African sharptooth catfish, Clarias gariepinus, contributes much to the River Nile ecosystem by its high omnivorosity, sturdiness, growth rates, and fecundity. It was globally appreciated as a key fluvial aquaculture species. Yet, it is also one of the top world freshwater aliens. Monitoring the genetic diversity of different economically and ecologically important species as well as development of markers that aid their tracing and abundance are fundamental. This is chiefly due to the growing international threats of environmental pollution, reduction, and loss of biodiversity. Herein, the genetic diversity of C. gariepinus along the River Nile in Egypt was assessed through sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). Also, a qPCR assay based on C. gariepinus 16srDNA was developed to assess the species abundance through environmental water DNA samples (eDNA). The results showed low genetic diversity of that species in Egypt. Moreover, its populations exhibited high rates of fixation. Testing its eDNA-based marker resulted in an unambiguous quantitative trend in situ, in agreement with reports of local fishermen. These eDNA signals were strong at least 1 Km upstream to the initial sampli...
Source: Molecular and Cellular Probes - Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research