<span style="font-size:15.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: HI;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">Taxonomic studies and phylogenetic relationship of seven spotted groupers species of genus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Epinephelus</i> (Pisces: Serranidae) off Visakhapatnam, middle east coast of India</span>

Abstract

Present study consists the meristic, morphometric characters and colour pattern that are used to identify seven spotted grouper species: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Epinephelus coioides, E. malabaricus, E. tauvina, E. angularis, E. bleekeri, E. chlorostigma, E. longispinis </i>that are represented in the catches of Visakhapatnam. Biometric measurements are subjected to multivariate analysis (Principal Component Analysis) to distinguish each species and to infer relationship of the closely related species. In addition to traditional taxonomic work, allozyme based survey of genetic variation in these seven species has also been carried out. Eleven enzyme systems screened yielded twenty six scorable loci. Average heterozygosity ranged from 0.048 to 0.154. The results yielded species specific diagnostic markers in the above species. UPGMA dendrogram revealed two main branches where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Epinephelus coioides, E. malabaricus and E. tauvina </i>formed one cluster and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">E. angularis, E. bleekeri, E. chlorostigma </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">E. longispinis </i>formed another cluster.