Confirmation of pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps from Palk Bay, India through Cytochrome Oxidase1 (COI) sequence

The identity of a stranded cetacean from the Palk Bay has been confirmed as a pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) by the partial sequencing of mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit‐I (COI). The specimen was unambiguously discriminated from the COI sequence of Kogia sima by matching exactly with the sequence of K. breviceps. Stranding events of these pygmy whales are considered to be uncommon. The sequence developed for K. breviceps is the first of its kind from Indian waters.通过对线粒体基因细胞色素氧化酶亚基I（cytochrome oxidase subunit-I, COI）进行部分测序，已确认这头在保克海峡搁浅的鲸类为小抹香鲸（Kogia breviceps）。该样本与小抹香鲸的COI序列完全匹配，可与侏儒抹香鲸（Kogia sima）的COI序列明确区分。此类小抹香鲸的搁浅事件被认为较为罕见。本次针对小抹香鲸获得的COI序列，是印度海域内该物种的首例相关序列。