Taxonomic Ambiguity of Mud Crab Species of Genus Scylla (Brachyura: Portunidae) Available in the Coastal Regions of Bangladesh

Abstract

Taxonomic ambiguity of mud crabs under genus Scylla available in the coastal regions of Bangladesh has become a major concern due to lack of proper identification of specific species. An attempt was made to resolve this taxonomic ambiguity for the first time in Bangladesh considering genetic analysis followed by external morphology and morphometric characters. A total of 371 samples were collected randomly from seven representative stations. The sampling was done two times in a month from July to December, 2014. An effective PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) method was developed based on targeted sequence of 12S rRNA gene by digestion with three restriction endonucleases (AanI, HindIII and DraI) to identify specific species of mud crab. The results clearly indicate the existence of having only one species of mud crab under genus Scylla along the coastal regions of Bangladesh and is identified as Scylla olivacea.