Species identification of four economically important Pangasiid catfishes and closely related species using SSCP markers

SSCP (Single Stranded Conformation Polymorphism) approaches were used to identify potential species-specific markers for species of Pangasiidae fish. Seven primers were obtained using the AFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism) approach. Only one of these (PL8) proved to have conserved variation within species and to be clearly distinguishable among species. PL8 distinguished the five of nine Pangasiidae species, four of them are most economically important species (Pangasianodon gigas, P. hypopthalmus, Pangasius bocourti and P. larnaudii). The power of this marker for species identification was confirmed in samples of larvae although it failed to unambiguously differentiate hybrids of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus and P. gigas or Pangasius bocourti from their parents. PL8 will be useful for species identification of Pangasiid catfishes, for larval identification and species authentication in food products.