DNA Barcoding and Phylogenetics Relationship of Pangasiid Catfishes in Peninsular Malaysia Revealed the Impacts of Aquaculture on the Native Species Conservation

Pangasiids are an economically significant group of catfish, and many pangasiids are threatened in the wild from anthropogenic pressures, including increases in fishing pressure, habitat degradation, and improperly managed aquaculture practices. This study demonstrates the usage of DNA barcoding of the Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) gene as an identification tool in detecting potentially threatening invasive pangasiid species by establishing the diversity and phylogenetic relationship of Pangasiidae catfishes in Peninsular Malaysia. A neighbour-joining (NJ) dendrogram (Kimura-2-parameter model) generated five clades to represent distinct genera. Pangasius was further subdivided into two clades (Clade A: Pangasius bocourti-P. djambal and Clade B: P. nasutus-P. conchophilus). Given the marginal genetic divergence, indigenous and non-native species should be treated cautiously in allopatrically distributed species. The analysis used Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) and revealed barcode gaps between the intraspecific and interspecific distances. The sequences were partitioned into five groupings, corresponding with the species delineation based on the distribution of pairwise differences, which could not be differentiated using the NJ dendrogram. ABGD allows the recognition of one or two additional species using the recursive approach, but other taxonomic methods should be considered for a solid conclusion. DNA barcoding demonstrates the identification of closely related species, thus justifying its application towards the conservation of these fish.