Molecular phylogeny of rocky oyster (Saccostrea) in the northern part of Persian Gulf

Although rocky oysters are widespread throughout the world, they are still difficult to identify and classify due to their high levels of plasticity. Unlike morphological classification, molecular methods can help identify and classify species whose morphological characteristics are misleading. In this study, 15 dominant rocky oyster specimens were collected from intertidal areas of northern part of Persian Gulf to investigate the gene sequence. DNA was extracted from muscle tissue using CTAB (Hexade cyl trime thyl ammonium bromide) method. Sequences of unit 1 nucleotides of cytochrome oxidase gene (COI) were examined. The sequences of the studied samples were compared with the sequences of eight other species in the gene bank by phylogenetic tree mapping. The percentage of Bootstrap endemic to Saccostrea mordax is located in a clade, indicating that the COI sequence is suitable for identifying the species of Saccostrea oistre, and this species has also been reported for the first time in this area.