DNA Barcoding Fishes

This chapter is an overview of the techniques for DNA barcoding of fishes from field collection to DNA sequence analysis. Recommendations for modifications of field protocols and best tissue sampling practices are made. A variety of DNA extraction protocols is provided, including high-throughput robot-assisted methods. A pair of well-tested forward and reverse primers for PCR amplification and sequencing are presented. These primers have been successfully used for DNA barcode on a wide array of marine fish taxa and also work well in most freshwater and cartilaginous fishes. Recipes and cycling protocols for both PCR amplification and sequencing and cleanup methods for the reaction products are provided. A method for the consistent production of high-quality DNA barcodes from DNA sequence data is given and stringent guidelines for judging the quality of raw sequence data are laid out.