Taxonomic discrimination of species of the genus Metapenaeus Wood-Mason, 1891 from Indian waters through morphometric and molecular studies

Abstract

Abstract The present study identified useful characters in the discrimination of species of the genus Metapenaeus, viz., Metapenaeus affinis, M. alcocki, M. brevicornis, M. dobsoni, M. kutchensis, M. monoceros and M. moyebi, in Indian waters, on the basis of morphometric and molecular studies. Out of 40 morphometric measurements, a correlation matrix of 14 morphometric measurements: carapace width, carapace depth, length of rostrum, of antennular peduncle, of telson, and of 6th abdominal somite; 6th abdominal somite depth, antennal scale length, merus length of 1st pereopod, movable finger length of 1st pereopod, movable finger length of 2nd pereopod, movable finger length of 3rd pereopod, merus length of 5th pereopod, and carpus length of 5th pereopod, were all found to be important in discriminating those seven species. The generated classification matrix showed 100% accurate classification of six species, except M. kutchensis (87.09%). DNA barcodes (588 bp) were generated for Metapenaeus brevicornis, M. dobsoni, M. ensis, M. kutchensis and M. monoceros. A simple identification key is thus proposed for nine species of Metapenaeus from Indian waters.