| Abstrakt: |
The limitations of morphology-based identification systems and the decreasing number of taxonomists necessitate a molecular approach for species recognition and identification, with DNA barcoding emerging as an efficient solution to some of taxonomy's challenges. This research aimed to identify several scad species found in the waters surrounding Ambon both morphologically and molecularly through DNA barcoding. Fish samples were collected from January to June 2018 at the Mardika fish market in Ambon, initially analyzed morphologically, and subsequently validated using the DNA barcode method. Both analyses were conducted in the Molecular Biology Laboratory at the Maritime and Marine Science Centre of Excellence of Pattimura University. Morphological identification revealed six species of scad: Decapterus macarellus, D. macarellus (suspected), D. macrosoma, D. macrosoma (suspected), D. russelli (suspected), and D. kurroides, with four samples per species collected, resulting in a total of 24 samples analyzed. DNA barcoding identified only four species: D. macarellus, D. macrosoma, D. russelli, and D. kurroides, with identification percentages ranging from 99-100%. After validation, the confirmed scad species found in Ambon's waters are D. macarellus, D. macrosoma, D. russelli, and D. kurroides, highlighting that DNA barcoding serves as a complementary method that can reinforce morphology-based identification quickly and accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
