Phylogenetic and Genetic Diversity of the Spiny Eel Mastacembelus unicolor (Mastacembelidae) from Kediri, East Java, Indonesia

The spiny eel from the family Mastacembelidae are potential fish for aquaculture because it’s high economic value as an ornamental and as a consumption fish. Unfortunately, this fish have not been cultivated yet and up to present local people depend on wild-caught. This situation leads to severe population decline of this species in nature. Efforts to cultivate or protect this species in nature are therefore crucial. Species identification is the first and essential step performing domestication or conservation of a species. In this study, we conducted morphological identification as well as phylogenetic and genetic diversity analyses using cytochrom c oxidase subunit I gene. The results revealed spiny eel from Kediri can be identified as Mastacembelus unicolor based on both morphological and molecular analyses. The phylogenetic analyses suggested that individuals from Kediri have the closest relationship to M. unicolor individuals from West Java. Individuals sequenced from Kediri exhibit identical haplotype which indicating no genetic polymorphism between individuals. The individuals of Mastacembelidae in the Kediri were morphologically and genetically identified as Mastacembelus unicolor. The genetic analysis result shows Kediri have 53.13% AT, 48.67% GC, and one haplotype with low hd and low π value.