New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Genetic evidence for two species of tarakihi (Teleostei: Cheilodactylidae: Nemadactylus) in New Zealand waters

P. J. SMITH

National Institute of Water & Atmospheric
Research Ltd (NIWA)
P. O. Box 14-901
Wellington, New Zealand

C. D.ROBERTS

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
P. O. Box 467
Wellington, New Zealand

S. M. McVEAGH
P. G. BENSON

NIWA
Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract  Specimens of king tarakihi from northern New Zealand were shown to differ from specimens of tarakihi, using two genetic methods: allozymes and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Allozyme techniques revealed fixed differences between tarakihi and king tarakihi at one locus and very different electromorph frequencies at a further three loci. There was a genetic distance of 0.35-0.39 between the two morphs. RAPD markers were generated with 10-base oligonucleotide primers. Three out of 9 primers produced different DNA fragments in tarakihi and king tarakihi collected on the same longline, indicating that the morphs are discrete species. The two morphs could not be distinguished by conventional iso-electric focusing of muscle proteins. We conclude that the king tarakihi is a previously undescribed species found in subtropical waters of northern New Zealand.

Keywords  tarakihi; Nemadactylus; allozymes; IEF; DNA

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 1996: Vol. 30: 209-220

0028-8330/96/3002-0209 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand 1996

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (2156K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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