Metabarcoding of ichthyoplankton communities associated with a highly dynamic shelf region of the southwest Indian Ocean.

ABSTRACT: Drifting fish eggs and larvae (ichthyoplankton) can be identified to species using DNA metabarcoding, thus allowing for post hoc community analyses at a high taxonomic resolution. We undertook a regional-scale study of ichthyoplankton distribution along the east coast of South Africa, focused on the contrasting environments of the tropical Delagoa and subtropical Natal Ecoregions, and on exposed and sheltered shelf areas. Zooplankton samples were collected with tow nets at discrete stations along cross-shelf transects (20-200 m depth) spaced along a latitudinal gradient that incorporates a known biogeographical boundary. Metabarcoding detected 67 fish species, of which 64 matched prior distribution records of fishes from South Africa, with the remaining three known from the Western Indian

SUBMITTER: Govender A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10138858 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature