Identification of three gadoid species around Hokkaido using the mitochondorial cytochrome b gene

Abstract

Mitochondrial DNA sequences of the cytochrome b gene (1161bp) were obtained from three gadoid species (Theragra chalcogramma, Gadus macrocephalus, and Eleghinus gracilis) near Hokkaido, Japan. Four restriction enzymes (DpnII, Hae III, RsaI and TaqI) were diagnostic to identify these three species. Species - specific internal primers were designed based upon the characteristic nucleotide substitutions in each species, which allowed discrimination among these three species by amplicon size.