Application of COI DNA barcoding for taxonomic identification of Isognomonidae in the Guangdong coast, China

Luo Hao; Yu Yuxiang; Lin Yihui; Chen Yaohui; Ji Xiaokang; Zhang Jinghuai

doi:10.12284/hyxb2026018

Volume 48 Issue 1

Jan. 2026

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Luo Hao，Yu Yuxiang，Lin Yihui, et al. Application of COI DNA barcoding for taxonomic identification of Isognomonidae in the Guangdong coast, China[J]. Haiyang Xuebao，2026, 48(1)：83–96 doi: 10.12284/hyxb2026018

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Application of COI DNA barcoding for taxonomic identification of Isognomonidae in the Guangdong coast, China

doi: 10.12284/hyxb2026018

Luo Hao^{1, 2, 3
,},
Yu Yuxiang^{1, 2, 3},
Lin Yihui^{1, 2, 3},
Chen Yaohui^{1, 2},
Ji Xiaokang^{1, 2, 3},
Zhang Jinghuai^{1, 2
,
,}

1.
South China Sea Ecology Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, China
2.
Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Survey Technology and Application, Ministry of Natural Resources, Guangzhou 510300, China
3.
College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Received Date: 2025-07-02
Rev Recd Date: 2025-09-30
Publish Date: 2026-01-25

Abstract

Abstract

Isognomonids are widely distributed in the intertidal zones of tropical and subtropical regions, where they play important ecological and economic roles. However, due to significant morphological variability influenced by environmental factors, morphology-based taxonomic classifications of Isognomonidae remain contentious. In this study, mitochondrial COI sequences were obtained from specimens of Isognomonidae collected along the Guangdong coast, supplemented with homologous sequences retrieved from GenBank to construct phylogenetic trees, and DNA molecular barcoding techniques been applied to analyze the species of Isognomonidae distributed in the Guangdong coast. Results demonstrated strong support for the monophyly of Isognomonidae. A total of 125 COI sequences yielded 68 haplotypes, which clustered into 16 well-supported species-level units, although their evolutionary relationships remain uncertain. Intraspecific Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) genetic distances ranged from 0 to 0.009, while interspecific distances ranged from 0.029 to 0.595. The average nucleotide composition of the COI fragments showed 55.0% A + T and 45.0% C + G, with variation observed among species. Five species were identified from Guangdong samples, including the previously recorded Isognomon nucleus and four cryptic species. This study confirms that DNA barcoding is an effective tool for supporting and revising the taxonomy of Isognomonidae and reveals cryptic diversity, which is crucial for marine biodiversity conservation.
- northern South China Sea,
- isognomonids,
- COI,
- species delimitation,
- cryptic species

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References(52)

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