Molecular markers for differentiation of Fenneropenaeus merguiensis among Penaeus species.

The banana shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis is a favourite among consumers. Therefore, overfishing has occurred. Conservation of this shrimp in the wild is essential. Conservation technologies, such as broodstock selection and germ cell transplantation, require molecular markers to discriminate F. merguiensis from other shrimps. This study developed biomarkers to distinguish F. merguiensis from other cultivated shrimps: Penaeus vannamei, Penaeus monodon and Macrobrachium rosenbergii. VASA 160 was used to differentiate F. merguiensis spermatogonia from the other three shrimps. Digestion of the amplified COI (cytochrome oxidase I) fragment with XbaI could discriminate the DNA of F. merguiensis and P. monodon from P. vannamei or M. rosenbergii. In comparison, SpeI digestion of the COI fragment differentiated F. merguiensis from P. monodon. COI266 identified the DNA of F. merguiensis from that of P. vannamei, P. monodon, and the PCR of Fm‐15 showed a distinct pattern in F. merguiensis. Besides, the sensitivity of the biomarkers was determined by mixing the DNA of F. merguiensis with that of P. vannamei. VASA160, COI‐RFLP and COI266 had a high sensitivity of 1:1000, while Fm 15 was at 1:100. Consequently, 30 processed shrimp foods were identified using these developed markers, and these markers will help monitor these four shrimp species in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]