DNA barcoding of shark meats identify species composition and CITES-listed species from the markets in Taiwan.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An increasing awareness of the vulnerability of sharks to exploitation by shark finning has contributed to a growing concern about an unsustainable shark fishery. Taiwan's fleet has the 4th largest shark catch in the world, accounting for almost 6% of the global figures. Revealing the diversity of sharks consumed by Taiwanese is important in designing conservation plans. However, fins make up less than 5% of the total body weight of a shark, and their bodies are sold as filets in the market, making it difficult or impossible to identify species using morphological traits.

Methods

In the present study, we adopted a DNA barcoding technique using a 391-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene to examine the diversity of shark filets and fins c

SUBMITTER: Liu SY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3832526 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature