Accurate, non-destructive, and high-throughput age estimation for Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua spp.) using DNA methylation.

ABSTRACT: Age structure information of animal populations is fundamental to their conservation and management. In fisheries, age is routinely obtained by counting daily or annual increments in calcified structures (e.g., otoliths) which requires lethal sampling. Recently, DNA methylation has been shown to estimate age using DNA extracted from fin tissue without the need to kill the fish. In this study we used conserved known age-associated sites from the zebrafish (Danio rerio) genome to predict the age of golden perch (Macquaria ambigua), a large-bodied native fish from eastern Australia. Individuals aged using validated otolith techniques from across the species' distribution were used to calibrate three epigenetic clocks. One clock was calibrated using daily (daily clock) and another with annual

SUBMITTER: Mayne B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10260977 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature