Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of Channa Species from Riverine System of Pakistan Using COI Gene as a DNA Barcoding Marker

Channa are the freshwater and important food fish species in Pakistan belonging to family Channidae. However, identification and phylogenetic analysis based on molecular tools of these species in Pakistan was not well known. Herein, the current investigation was conceptualized, which dealt with mitochondrial DNA sequences from three geographically distinct populations of this species from Pakistan's water system. DNA from fin tissues was extracted. COI region of mtDNA was amplified using universal primers for fish. PCR products were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis conducted in the present study, i.e. neighbor-joining (NJ) cladogram, maximum likelihood, K2P genetic divergence and histogram suggests that the studied species of family Channidae are genetically different. The K2P intraspecific divergences were lower than interspecific divergences. The clades in the evolutionary tree for three species were clearly separated.