DNA barcoding of hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) from the Barumun River, Labuhanbatu Regency, North Sumatera Province, Indonesia

The trade of Tenualosa ilisha eggs is still ongoing. This could lead to a future population decline. Molecular information regarding T. ilisha as an anadromous fish in the Barumun River has yet to be available. DNA barcoding utilizes the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene because this gene has been widely used to identify species. Samples were collected from the Barumun River, which is the location of the migration of T. ilisha for spawning. DNA was isolated using the Extragene Gene All DNA Mini Kit protocol. The results of T. ilisha DNA amplification contained 686 base pairs, with a composition of 29.4% T(U), C (28.6%), A (21.3%), and G (20.7%). T. ilisha sequences from Sungai Barumun were compared with 12 gene sequences present in the Genbank. The results of the CO1 gene analysis showed that T. ilisha from the Barumun River had a close kinship with T. ilisha from Bangladesh, with a genetic distance of 0.22%. BLAST analysis showed a 98.32% similarity between the sequences of T. ilisha from the Barumun River and the Genbank data. Genetic distance analysis using the Kimura Two Parameter model (K2P) showed genetic distances within species, genera, and families with an average of 0.08%, 0.28%, and 0.32%. DNA barcodes will become basic information that can be utilized to monitor migration distances and determine future T. ilisha in situ conservation areas. Therefore, DNA barcodes will be registered soon.