DNA Barcoding, primarily focusing on cytochrome coxidase subunit I (COI) gene has been appraised as an effective tool for species identification. Nonetheless, species identification based on molecular approach is essential for discrimination of look-alike species. In this study, we focused on the marine fishes Family Nemipteridae, one of the commercially important group distributed within the surrounding seas of Malaysia. Some of the samples were collected during the National Demersal Trawl Survey in the Exclusive Economic Zone of East Coast Peninsular Malaysia by the Department of Fishery Malaysia. A 652bp region of COI was sequenced for 74 individuals from nine putative species. Additional 34 COIsequences from GenBank were also included in this study making the total number of samples analysed to 108 individuals. The averageKimura 2-parameter (K2P) nucleotide divergence was 0.34% among individuals within species and 6.97% within genera. All putative species formed monophyletic clades in both Neighbour-joining (NJ) and Maximum-likelihood (ML) trees. However, there was a potential misidentification in specimen identified as Nemipterus tambuloides,as the specimen did not group with their own taxa. It was genetically grouped in Nemipterus thosaporni clade. This study supports the effectiveness of COIgene in species discrimination of Family Nemipteridae.
Five specimens of Epinephelusepistictus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) were collected from a major landing site located on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia during a fish faunal survey on 23 August 2017. The present study extends the distribution range of E.epistictus southwards from Andaman Sea to the Strait of Malacca. Species identification was confirmed by colour pattern and DNA barcoding (567 bp of cytochrome C oxidase I) of all E.epistictus specimens and nine closely related Epinephelus species. The interspecies genetic distance ranged from 0.002-0.245. This study also presents, for the first time for Malaysia, data on length-weight relationships and otolith measurements. It contributes to a better understanding of taxonomy, and phylogenetic and genetic diversity of E.epistictus.