Original Articles Vol. 3 No. 3 (2026): Bioscience Insights Published 2026-10-27

MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF GASTROPODS FOUND IN MANGROVES OF SOMIANI BAY

Authors

  • Khush Bakht M.Phil. Scholar Department of Marine, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water and Marine Science Uthal Pakistan Author
  • Dr. Muhammad Shafi Professor, Department of Marine Sciences, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water and Marine Science Uthal. Pakistan Author
  • Kiran Mustafa M.Phil. Scholar Department of Marine, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water and Marine Science Uthal. Pakistan Author
  • Naghma Sabzal M.Phil. Scholar Department of Marine, Lasbela University of Agriculture Water and Marine Science Uthal Pakistan Author
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Abstract

Pakistan’s coastline, extending 990 km along the northern Arabian Sea, lies entirely within the subtropical region. It comprises two distinct coastal segments the Sindh coast (about 320 km) and the Balochistan coast (about 670 km). In recent years, DNA barcoding has emerged as a strong and reliable scientific tool for species identification. Modern DNA barcoding, by contrast, provides an objective approach to taxonomic classification from kingdom to species level through the sequencing and analysis of a short, standardized region of an organism’s genome. In this study, DNA barcoding proved to be a dependable molecular method for accurate taxonomic identification, with the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) mitochondrial gene serving as the most widely used marker due to its high specificity and authenticity. The analysis successfully confirmed the identification of specie belonging to the family Muricidae, demonstrating intraspecific genetic similarity ranging from 97% to 100%.. Phylogenetic analysis further revealed that the Muricidae species from Sonmiani Bay share close genetic affinities with populations from the United Kingdom (UK), Pakistan (PK), China (CN), New Zealand (NZ), India (IN), Australia (AU), Peru (PU) and Japan (JP), indicating a broad biogeographical connection within this family across diverse marine regions.

Keywords

  • Balochistan coastline, DNA barcoding, Polymerase chain reaction, Gastropodes

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