Morphological analysis and molecular phylogeny of Aristeus alcocki Ramadan, 1938 from south-west coast of India

Abstract

Present study has combined both morphometric as well as molecular phylogenetic analysis to describe Aristeus alcocki on the basis of the specimens procured off Sakthikulangara along the south west coast of India. Morphometric analysis of A. alcocki was confirmed by the relative length of the chela/carpus ratio as P1: 1.14-1.35, P2: 0.95-1.07, P3: 0.7-0.85. Pleurobranchia of pereopod I-IV in the form of minute papillae without pinnules. Hepatic groove well formed straight and anterior part slightly curved. Strong buttress with well developed pterygostomian spine anteriorly curved. Molecular phylogeny of the species was analyzed using two nuclear-protein coding genes, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and sodium–potassium ATPase α-subunit (NaK) and two mitochondrial genes, large subunit ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) and Cytochrome oxidase I (COI). These four highly conserved genes were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was performed. From this study the specimen was identified as A. alcocki and the molecular data submitted in GenBank will be a contribution towards identification of the species using molecular tools in future.