Mitochondrial DNA-based investigation of dead rorqual (Cetacea: Balaenopteridae) from the west coast of India

• Published in: Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• Main Authors: Shantanu Kundu, Manokaran Kamalakannan, Dhriti Banerjee, Flandrianto Sih Palimirmo, Arif Wibowo, Hyun-Woo Kim
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 2024
• Subjects: Indian Ocean; Cetaceans; Matrilineal phylogeny; Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs); Conservation; Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling; SH1-691; Balaenoptera musculus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.47853/FAS.2024.e6; https://doaj.org/article/4fe87fbc9d454be98443a3fdafd890a9

The study assessed the utility of mitochondrial DNA for identifying a deceased rorqual discovered off the western coast of India. Both the COI and Cytb genes exhibited remarkable 99-100% similarity with the GenBank sequence of Balaenoptera musculus through a global BLAST search, confirming their affiliation with this species. Inter-species genetic distances for COI and Cytb genes ranged from 6.75% to 9.80% and 7.37% to 10.96% respectively, compared with other Balaenopteridae species. The Bayesian phylogenies constructed based on both COI and Cytb genes demonstrated clear and separate clustering for all Balaenopteridae species, further reaffirming their distinctiveness, while concurrently revealing a cohesive clustering pattern of the generated sequences within the B. musculus clade. Beyond species confirmation, this study provides valuable insights into the presence of live and deceased B. musculus individuals within Indian marine ecosystems. This information holds significant potential for guiding conservation efforts aimed at safeguarding Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) in India over the long term.