Assessment of genetic variation in closely related seahorse species (Genus: Hippocampus) using mtDNA marker

Phylogenetic relationships among two species of seahorses (Hippocampus kuda & H. trimaculatus) and one species of pipe fish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus) from Gulf of Mannar were analysed using cytochrome b gene (cyt b) sequence data (Ace. No. EF 189158 & EF 189167). The genetic distance value between H. kuda and H. trimaculatus was found to be 0.155; while between H. kuda and S. biaculeatus, it was 0.256, and between H. trimaculatus and S. biaculeatus, 0.290. The percentage of identical pairs between H. kuda and H. trimaculatus was 85.90, and between H. kuda and S. biaculeatus, 79.19. The percentage of transition and transversion between two seahorse species (H. kuda & H. trimaculatus) was lesser than between seahorse and pipe fish (S. biaculeatus). The results suggested that further phylogenetic studies are required to determine the genetic relationship in all Indian seahorse species.