New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Identification of galaxiid nests, emigrating larvae and whitebait, using mitochondrial DNA control region sequences

Sjaan C. Charteris*

Institute of Natural Resources-Ecology
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
email: sjaancharteris@hotmail.com

Peter A. Ritchie

Institute of Molecular BioSciences
Massey University
Private Bag 11 222
Palmerston North, New Zealand
email: P.Ritchie@massey.ac.nz
*Present address: Department of Conservation, Canterbury Conservancy, Private Bag 4715, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Abstract   We used mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences to identify nests, emigrating larvae, and whitebait of three species of diadromous galaxiids, collected from eight locations in Taranaki and Manawatu, New Zealand. DNA was extracted from whole larvae and fin clips, and a 416 base pair (bp) sequence of mtDNA control region was determined. Four Galaxias fasciatus Gray (banded kokopu) and 12 G. postvectis Clarke (shortjaw kokopu) nests were identified. Galaxias postvectis, G. fasciatus, and G. brevipinnis Günther (koaro) individuals were detected migrating downstream from drift samples collected between May and June 2001. Furthermore, we identified three species from samples of whitebait revealing three G. postvectis, six G. fasciatus, and three G. brevipinnis. Species of larval eggs, larvae, and whitebait can be accurately identified by molecular methods. These methods provide an opportunity to help in the understanding of nest habitat choice, hatching time, migration, and choice of rivers by whitebait species.

Keywords   PCR; Galaxias; mitochondrial DNA; control region

M01081 Received 10 October 2001; accepted 24 April 2002; Published 14 November
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2002, Vol. 36: 789-795
0028-8330/02/3604-0789 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002

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