Molecular barcoding applied to the Mediterranean turtles biological matrices (Reptilia Cheloniidae)

Abstract

Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) together with Caretta caretta (Linnaeus, 1758) is the most representative Cheloniidae species in the Mediterranean basin. Currently, at the National Reference Centre in the "Istituto Zooprofilattico" of Sicily (Italy), damaged subjects are rehabilitated before they are released again. Clinical, physiological and molecular parameters were collected from each subject. We analysed 46 turtles which samples were collected. Species specific Cytochrome oxidase I sequences for the identification of marine turtle species were obtained. Barcoding is a new tool of classical taxonomy that allows the characterisation of living species and the differentiation of very morphologically similar species. It is a practical tool that can be used in cases of damaged samples and is also useful for taxonomical characterisation of specimen at immature development stages. In our region, in the centre of the Mediterranean area, we represent a reference centre for injured animals both stranded on the beach and captured in offshore.Turtles caught in fishing lines generally retain the fishing hooks in their throat or oesophagus, as visible by X-ray investigations. After the cure and samples collection, the animals are released into the sea. The polymorphisms could be related to the geographical distance of the turtles following different routes during their life. The large-scale sequencing of a single or few genes in taxonomic studies, denominated by species barcoding, aims at offering a practical method for species identification, as well as for providing insights into the evolutionary diversification of life.