Mitochondrial COI Gene Sequence Analyses of Puntius ticto and Compared with Seven Species of Genus Puntius of Family Cyprinidae: A Finding for Phylogenetic Positioning and DNA Barcoding as Model Study for Cryptic Species

Over the last three decades, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has declared as the most popular marker of molecular diversity, for a combination of technical ease-of-use considerations, and supposed biological and evolutionary properties of a species. The present study examined partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene sequence of mitochondrial DNA for phylogenetic positioning of Puntius ticto among eight species of genus Puntius and its suitability to determine the genetic differentiation in among genus Puntius. The 05 samples of P. ticto were collected from Halali reservoir were analyzed mtcox1 gene of mitochondrial partial regions were sequenced and compared with the online database available on NCBI (National Centre for Biotechnology Information, USA) for rest of seven species (P. sophore, P. sarana, P. amphibious, P. chola, P. conchonius, P. dorsalis and P. gelius). Sequencing of 668 bp of mtcox1 gene revealed 18 haplotypes (h) with haplotype (gene) diversity (Hd) 0.981 ± 0.023 and nucleotide diversity (Pi) 0.658. 504 variable sites and parsimony sites have been recorded and conserved positions were observed at equal frequency in the nucleotide sequence and the variable regions were mostly visualized between nucleotide 27 to 76. The results concluded that the partial mtcox1 is polymorphic and can be a potential marker to determining phylogenetic positioning of Puntius ticto with rest of seven species. Present investigation may be treated model study for wildlife scientists for banding smuggling protected species under false pretenses and the importance of DNA barcoding in stopping such illegal trade.