Calibrating snakehead diversity with DNA barcodes: expanding taxonomic coverage to enable identification of potential and established invasive species.

ABSTRACT: Detecting and documenting the occurrence of invasive species outside their native range requires tools to support their identification. This can be challenging for taxa with diverse life stages and/or problematic or unresolved morphological taxonomies. DNA barcoding provides a potent method for identifying invasive species, as it allows for species identification at all life stages, including fragmentary remains. It also provides an efficient interim taxonomic framework for quantifying cryptic genetic diversity by parsing barcode sequences into discontinuous haplogroup clusters (typical of reproductively isolated species) and labelling them with unique alphanumeric identifiers. Snakehead fishes are a diverse group of opportunistic predators endemic to Asia and Africa that may potentially p

SUBMITTER: Serrao NR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4051700 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature