Genetic variation of reef-building polychaete Sabellaria chandraae in the south-eastern Arabian Sea based on mitochondrial COI gene sequences

Abstract

The honeycomb worm Sabellaria chandraae is the most common reef-building polychaete in the intertidal area along the south-eastern Arabian Sea. We used the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene to examine the levels of genetic variation the population. The samples were collected from seven intertidal areas along the south-eastern Arabian Sea. The hierarchical Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) and conventional population statistics (FST) showed a low level of genetic differentiation (FST = 0.0864, p < .05), indicating no geographical patterning among seven populations. The present results were able to provide a reference for the single stock population along the south-eastern Arabian Sea.

Keywords

• mitochondrial dna
• cytochrome c oxidase subunit i
• genetic diversity
• west indian coastal current