DNA Detectives: Outreach Activity Teaching Students to Identify Fish Eggs Using DNA Barcoding ^†

Abstract

Fish are an important resource worldwide and their management requires a combination of strategies, including the protection of spawning areas. However, the identification of fish early life stages, especially fish eggs, is challenging due to the lack of distinguishing morphological features.

DNA barcoding reveals the temporal community composition of drifting fish eggs in the lower Hongshui River, China

“…DNA barcoding, which delimits species based on a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), has been widely used to identify fish eggs (Chen et al., 2021 ; Hofmann et al., 2017 ; Hou et al., 2020 ; Kerr & Breitbart, 2021 ; Kerr et al., 2020 ; Leyva‐Cruz et al., 2016 ). For example, Leyva‐Cruz et al.…”

“…DNA barcoding, which delimits species based on a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), has been widely used to identify fish eggs (Chen et al, 2021;Hofmann et al, 2017;Hou et al, 2020;Kerr & Breitbart, 2021;Kerr et al, 2020;Leyva-Cruz et al, 2016). For example, Leyva-Cruz et al (2016) collected 300 fish eggs from waters surrounding Banco Chinchorro in the Mexican Caribbean and assigned the eggs to 42 species using DNA barcoding.…”