Character-based Identification System (CBIS) for Authentication and Conservation of Fishes from the Thamirabarani River, Western Ghats of India

Background: Accurate identification of freshwater fish is essential to preserving freshwater fish diversity. BLOG uses a short DNA sequence taken from a portion of mitochondrial DNA called Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I (COI), which varies by several percent, even between closely related species, so it can be used to identify the species of a particular individual. Methods: BLOG 2.0 is an advancement of logic data mining and can identify nucleotide positions that characterize DNA barcode sequences and classify species using logic formulas. This character-based identification method identifies specimens to species with the help of their logic rules and diagnostic nucleotides in the selected gene sequences. In this study, 30 species distributed in the Indian freshwater region were taken as the target group. A 30 -110 mtCOI sequences for each species were downloaded and modified. Results: With the help of BLOG.2.0 software, to identified specific diagnostic nucleotides for these freshwater species. Species-specific probes ranging from 18-22 base pairs were designed based on identified diagnostic nucleotide sites that could be useful in customized microarrays (DNA chips). This BLOG based CBIS will be a promising technique for obtaining quick, convenient, and extensive knowledge about the conservation of various freshwater fishes and their forensic applications.