국내 연안 서식 어류 위내용물의 DNA-metabarcoding 분석

Analysis of Stomach Contents of Domestic Coastal Fishes Using DNA-metabarcoding

Gut contents analysis in fish can identify changes in habitat environments as aquatic food network predators, which plays a pivotal role in determining biodiversity. DNA metabarcoding technology for analyzing the stomach contents of fish has recently attracted attention as a molecular analysis method that goes beyond the limitations of traditional visual observation. In this study, DNA metabarcoding analysis using 18S rRNA V9 primers was conducted on fish species purchased at fisheries markets in the East Sea, West Sea, and South Sea of South Korea for a comparative analysis of the stomach contents. High levels of Zooplankton and Phytoplankton were detected in the stomach contents of Chelidonichthys spinosus, Pennahia argentata, Takifugu pardalis, Scombrops boops, Larimichthys polyactis, Kaiwarinus equula, Sebastes schlegelii, and Sebastiscus marmoratus. Decapoda were the highest detected in Pagrus major, and fish were detected in Lophiomus setigerus of each stomach content. In addition, various taxa were detected in Arctoscopus japonicus, including fish and Crustacea. In the correlation analysis between the diversity index, LMnb, and LSnb for fish stomach contents, the diversity index and LMnb showed a high positive correlation (0.98), but the diversity index and LMnb showed a low correlation (0.01). The hierarchical clustering of fish according to stomach contents was divided into three groups, with the main stomach contents of each group being Malacostraca (Group 1), fish (Group 2), and Zooplankton and Phytoplankton (Group 3). These results suggest the possibility that food source analysis through DNA metabarcoding can identify the difficult to observe with the naked eye and complement the results of microscopic examination. However, at the same time, it was shown that analysis of stomach contents using DNA metabarcoding should interact with microscopic analysis for interpretation in the analysis of substantial food sources.