Primary study of phylogeny and genetic structure of Banana shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis in Laft and Sirik estuaries in the Persian Gulf using mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequencing

Banana shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis is one of the most important shrimp species in the Persian Gulf compromising about 60% of total shrimp catch in Hormozgan Province. Regarding the importance of banana shrimp in fisheries industry، phylogeny and genetic structure of the population of this in Laft and Sirik estuaries in the Persian Gulf was investigated using mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing of 10 shrimps including 448 aligned base pairs yielded one monomorphic locus، 447 polymorphic loci and seven haplotypes. No insertions and deletions were observed. F- statistic parameter at 95% level of confidence was 0. 14 and was not significant between the two populations (P value= 0. 08). Phylogenetic trees did not show a differentiated geographical structure between the two regions. Mean values of Tajima’s D and Fu’s Fs between the regions were 2. 61 and 10. 33، respectively. Insignificant values of these tests are indicative of no expansion of F. merguiensis population between the two regions. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity of the shrimps were 0. 933 ± 0. 004 and 0. 802 ± 0. 672، respectively for the two regions. The results of this study revealed that F. merguiensis populations of Laft and Sirik estuaries had high levels of genetic diversity but regarding the value of F- statistic parameter and its significance level، the existence of genetically similar populations could not be deducted with high level of confidence. The results of present study could be considered in fisheries management for restocking programs and conservation of genetic diversity of populations.