Abstract
We developed a method for discriminating among three Macrobrachium species (M. nipponense, M. formosense and M. japonicum) that inhabit rivers of the Kii Peninsula, Japan. Using the restriction enzyme, Bsp1286I, we performed polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (CO I) region of the mitochondrial DNA. Our analysis clearly discriminated among the three Macrobrachium species (62 individuals), and was consistent with classification based on morphological characters. There was no intraspecific variation in the specific restriction profiles. In addition, we were able to classify 95 morphologically unidentified individuals, including juvenile or female individuals, based on their specific restriction profiles. Our results suggest that PCR-RFLP may be used to discriminate among these three Macrobrachium species. The method is particularly useful for classifying juvenile or female individuals that cannot be identified morphologically.
