PCR-RFLP ANALYSIS ON 13 WESTERN ATLANTIC SNAPPERS (SUBFAMILY LUTJANINAE) - A SIMPLE METHOD FOR SPECIES AND STOCK IDENTIFICATION

Restriction endonuclease analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12 S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene fragments amplified by polymerase chain re action (PCR) was applied to thirteen western Atlantic snapper species (the genera Lutjanus, Ocyurus and Rhomboplites), in order to assess re liability of this method for genetic species and stock identification studies. Eight species (L. apodus, L. buccanella, L. campechanus, L. c yanopterus, L. griseus, L. synagris, L vivanus and R. aurorubens) coul d be identified by haplotype analysis on either single or both fragmen ts, while the others (L. analis, L. jocu, L. mahogoni, L. purpureus an d O. chrysurus) were not separated from one another because of overlap ping or identical haplotypes observed between species. High nucleon di versity estimates (h = 40-80%) observed within four species (L. campec hanus, L. cyanopterus, L. griseus and L. jocu) indicated that sufficie nt intraspecific polymorphism could be detected by the PCR-[RFLP] rest riction fragment length polymorphism analysis making it a useful metho d for investigating genetic stock structure.