Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens

Fish eggs and larval stages are essential components of marine ecosystems and play important roles in sustaining marine food webs. However, the egg and larval stages often lack distinct diagnostic characteristics, making it challenging to identify species solely based on their morphology. In this st...

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Main Authors: Kwang-Tsao Shao, Hui-Ling Ko, Yung-Chieh Chiu, Hsin-Kai Huang, Ya-Fang Chen, Yen-Wei Chang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pensoft Publishers 2025-07-01
Series:ZooKeys
Online Access:https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/151795/download/pdf/
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author Kwang-Tsao Shao
Hui-Ling Ko
Yung-Chieh Chiu
Hsin-Kai Huang
Ya-Fang Chen
Yen-Wei Chang
author_facet Kwang-Tsao Shao
Hui-Ling Ko
Yung-Chieh Chiu
Hsin-Kai Huang
Ya-Fang Chen
Yen-Wei Chang
author_sort Kwang-Tsao Shao
collection DOAJ
description Fish eggs and larval stages are essential components of marine ecosystems and play important roles in sustaining marine food webs. However, the egg and larval stages often lack distinct diagnostic characteristics, making it challenging to identify species solely based on their morphology. In this study, we applied a DNA barcoding approach targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene to establish a comprehensive reference for fish eggs and larval material in coastal waters off Taiwan. A total of 7602 records of fish eggs and larvae were collected from marine coastal waters surrounding Taiwan between 2004 and 2023 and identified using a DNA barcoding approach. By comparing our newly generated DNA barcoding sequences with records from public reference databases, we identified 1112 different fish taxa encompassing 24 orders, 158 families, 500 genera, and 844 fish species. This DNA barcoding referencing effort will facilitate future studies on the early life stages of Taiwanese coastal marine fish communities. In addition, it will also provide an important baseline for the development of new methods, such as eDNA and DNA metabarcoding diet analysis. This database provides comprehensive spatial and temporal distribution data of fish eggs and larvae in the waters surrounding Taiwan, contributing to a better understanding of fish spawning seasons, spawning grounds, and resource fluctuations. This database enhances the accuracy of species identification and serves as a scientific foundation for biodiversity conservation and fishery resource management.
format Article
id doaj-art-3c780cdb354b4cb3900d804b3f0e89e0
institution Kabale University
issn 1313-2970
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Pensoft Publishers
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series ZooKeys
spelling doaj-art-3c780cdb354b4cb3900d804b3f0e89e02025-08-20T03:58:18ZengPensoft PublishersZooKeys1313-29702025-07-01124720721610.3897/zookeys.1247.151795151795Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimensKwang-Tsao Shao0Hui-Ling Ko1Yung-Chieh Chiu2Hsin-Kai Huang3Ya-Fang Chen4Yen-Wei Chang5National Taiwan Ocean UniversityMarine Fisheries Division, Fisheries Research Institute, Ministry of AgricultureNational Taiwan Ocean UniversityNational Taiwan Ocean UniversityNational Taiwan Ocean UniversityFisheries Research Institute, Ministry of AgricultureFish eggs and larval stages are essential components of marine ecosystems and play important roles in sustaining marine food webs. However, the egg and larval stages often lack distinct diagnostic characteristics, making it challenging to identify species solely based on their morphology. In this study, we applied a DNA barcoding approach targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene to establish a comprehensive reference for fish eggs and larval material in coastal waters off Taiwan. A total of 7602 records of fish eggs and larvae were collected from marine coastal waters surrounding Taiwan between 2004 and 2023 and identified using a DNA barcoding approach. By comparing our newly generated DNA barcoding sequences with records from public reference databases, we identified 1112 different fish taxa encompassing 24 orders, 158 families, 500 genera, and 844 fish species. This DNA barcoding referencing effort will facilitate future studies on the early life stages of Taiwanese coastal marine fish communities. In addition, it will also provide an important baseline for the development of new methods, such as eDNA and DNA metabarcoding diet analysis. This database provides comprehensive spatial and temporal distribution data of fish eggs and larvae in the waters surrounding Taiwan, contributing to a better understanding of fish spawning seasons, spawning grounds, and resource fluctuations. This database enhances the accuracy of species identification and serves as a scientific foundation for biodiversity conservation and fishery resource management.https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/151795/download/pdf/
spellingShingle Kwang-Tsao Shao
Hui-Ling Ko
Yung-Chieh Chiu
Hsin-Kai Huang
Ya-Fang Chen
Yen-Wei Chang
Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens
ZooKeys
title Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens
title_full Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens
title_fullStr Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens
title_full_unstemmed Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens
title_short Establishing a COI DNA barcoding reference database for Taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens
title_sort establishing a coi dna barcoding reference database for taiwanese coastal fish species from egg and larvae specimens
url https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/151795/download/pdf/
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