We use DNA molecular marker technology to correct the deficiency of traditional morphological taxonomy. Totality 770 Pelteobagrus fish from Poyang Lake were collected. After preliminary morphological classification, random selected eight samples in each species for DNA extraction. Mitochondrial COI gene sequence was cloned with universal primers and sequenced. The results showed that there are four species of Pelteobagrus living in Poyang Lake. The average of intraspecific genetic distance value was 0.003, while the average interspecific genetic distance was 0.128. The interspecific genetic distance is far more than intraspecific genetic distance. Besides, phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that molecular systematics was in accord with morphological classification. It indicated that COI gene is an effective DNA molecular marker in Pelteobagrus classification. Surprisingly, the intraspecific difference of some individuals (P. e6, P. n6, P. e5, and P. v4) from their original named exceeded species threshold (2%), which should be renewedly classified into Pelteobagrus fulvidraco. However, another individual P. v3 was very different, because its genetic distance was over 8.4% difference from original named Pelteobagrus vachelli. Its taxonomic status remained to be further studied.
Keywords: Barcoding; Pelteobagrus fish; Poyang Lake; classification; mitochondrial COI.