MOLECULAR EVALUATION OF THE POPULATION OF SILVER POMFRET (PAMPUS ARGENTEUS) IN THE PERSIAN GULF AND OMAN SEA (IRANIAN & KUWAITI WATERS)

A total of 162 specimens of Silver Pomfret (Pampus argenteus) including 38 samples from Kuwait and 124 samples from Iran (24 from Khouzestan, 24 from Chabahar and 38 from Bushehr) were examined for their DNA structure. DNA from all specimens was extracted using the Phenol-chloroform and amplified using PCR method with a pair of primers with ND2 gene sequence. The PCR products were abowt 1300 (bp) for all samples. For RFLP analysis 16 restriction enzymes Bel I, Pst I, Acc II. BseN I, Tru I, Dra I, Alw26 I, Hin6 I, Tas I, Alu I, EeoR I ,Hae III, Hine II. Hind III. Hinf I and Hpa II were used. DNA bands were visualized by Gel electrophoresis (polyacrylamid) and staining with silver nitrate. Out of 16 enzymes, four showed polymorphism that includedg Hinf I, Alu I, Ace II, and Hpa II. Of the total 162 samples, 13 showed polymorphic patterns. Six haplotypes were rare occurring only once, but others which were only four different kinds occurred more than once. The REAP test gave no significant result for the examined regions (P>0.05). Therefore, our results revealed that the Pampus argenteus stocks in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea of Iranian and Kuwaiti waters constitute a unique population.