Identification of Nile perch (Lates niloticus), grouper (Epinephelus guaza), and wreck fish (Polyprion americanus) by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism of a 12S rRNA gene fragment.

Restriction site analysis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from a conserved region of the 12S rRNA gene has been used for the specific identification of Nile perch (Lates niloticus), grouper (Epinephelus guaza), and wreck fish (Polyprion americanus). Amplification of DNA isolated from muscle samples was carried out using a set of primers flanking a region of 436 bp from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene. Digestions of the PCR products with RsaI and Sau96I endonucleases, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis of the digested PCR products, yielded specific profiles that enabled direct identification of each species analyzed.