DNA barcoding campaign in a fish market in the Northern Red Sea provides clues for cryptic speciation and fishing form close geographical areas or bottle-necked populations

Herein, a pilot, random sampling trial was carried out to characterize and assess some genetic population parameters for fish species in the landings reaching the market in Suez city, Egypt. The Samples were DNA barcoded using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene (COI). DNA barcoding could characterize 9 species belonging to 7 different families and 3 orders. These species were Coris aygula, Papilloculiceps longiceps, Priacanthus sagittarious, Gerres longirostris, Alepes djedaba, Psettodes erumei, Cheilinus trilobatus, Calotomus viridescens, and Pardachirus marmoratus. Moderate haplotype, yet low genetic, diversities could be identifies in the first six species. This might be secondary to their fishing from bottlenecked populations, or from areas that do not hinder the genetic flow. Also, possible cryptic speciation could be detected in P. sagittarius, P. erumei and G. longirostris. The current study pointed to the power of DNA barcoding as a tool for identifying the state of biodiversity in fished populations, and the taxonomic richness of Red Sea fish-based markets.