RAPD analysis: an efficient method of DNA fingerprinting in fishes.

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) generated using arbitrary primers of 9, 10, 16 and 20 nucleotide lengths by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was investigated in 12 species of fishes. We found that the amplification products were best resolved by Urea-SDS-PAGE and detected by silver staining. The amplification products ranged from 25 to 75 depending on the primer and template combination. The random primers generated unique fingerprints for each species of fish in terms of number and position of RAPDs. Our results showed that the fish species can be distinguished from each other by RAPDs. The complexity of the RAPDs in the fingerprints may be manipulated to suit the requirement of the study. The use of RAPD in taxonomy, fishery management and fish culture is discussed.