Using DNA barcodes to detect non-indigenous species: the case of the Asian copepod Mesocyclops pehpeiensis Hu, 1943 (Cyclopidae) in two regions of the world

Abstract

To date, little attention has been paid to analyses of copepods as exotic species. The genus Mesocyclops , a freshwater cyclopoid, has a worldwide distribution, but individual species within the genus have a quite restricted geographical range. Mesocyclops pehpeiensis Hu, 1943 is a Central-East Asian species, rarely found outside of this area, and when it appears should be considered as non-native. Based on morphology and DNA barcode analyses, using the COI gene, we confirmed records of M. pehpeiensis in two ponds in Mexico and in a rice paddy near Valencia, Spain. The morphology of this species, based on morphometric analyses, was found to be variable, but DNA barcoding confirmed the same identity for specimens from two continents. The extremely low COI genetic divergence among these disjunct populations of M. pehpeiensis strongly evidences anthropogenic translocations. DNA barcoding can be a fast and useful analytical tool to accurately identify exotic species across the world.