Descriptive analysis, DNA barcoding and condition index of Penaeids (Crustacea: Decapoda) from the Egyptian Mediterranean coast

Penaeid shrimps represent the most economically important decapod group in the Egyptian capture fisheries. Up till now, the absence of proper morphological and genetic tools for species identification is negatively affecting the proper management of fisheries, especially when associated with the scarcity of data about fisheries of such species that have high economic value or the ones suffering from overfishing. In the present study, we sampled three penaeid species that prevail the Egyptian capture fisheries of the Mediterranean; Penaeus semisulcatus, Metapenaeus monoceros and Trachypenaeus curvirostris. Morphological clues for the identification of these species were thoroughly recorded. Furthermore, the DNA was extracted from these species and partial fragments of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) and 16S rRNA genes were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. New barcodes of these species were added to the GenBank database as confirmed by the thorough morphological identification. Some discrepancies were detected between our samples and those in the Genbank database (whenever available). Hence, phylogenetic analyses ensued for proper placement of our samples with their closest relatives that were previously submitted to GenBank. Moreover, morphometric studies were conducted to provide the fundamental parameters which are important for fisheries management of the currently studied shrimp species. Through these parameters tested, the study provided a tool to select the appropriate stocks for successful hatcheries, and added more value to the growing sector of shrimp aquaculture in Egypt. This study is the first of its kind in Egypt as it provides both morphological and genetic clues for identifying such species, and also in assessing their fisheries in the Mediterranean supreme fishery in Egypt.