Sex-specific DNA markers are very helpful for identifying genetic sex and studying sex determination mechanisms in fish. To identify the sex-specific markers of spotted knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus), we performed a comparative analysis of the female and male genomes. In this study, an 18 bp insertion was identified in the male genome after verification by sequencing depth and PCR. An effective and rapid method based on PCR was then developed to identify the genetic sex. A male-female-shared primer pair and a male-specific primer were designed for PCR amplification to avoid false-negative phenomena. To examine the primers in practice, we utilized hundreds of spotted knifejaw fish from different groups to identify their genetic sex, and the results were consistent with their phenotypic sex. The male-specific DNA marker would be helpful for artificial breeding, Y chromosome assembly and further study of the sex determination mechanism. This study is the first to identify an effective sex-specific marker in spotted knifejaw.
Keywords: DNA marker; Genetic sex identification; Insertion; Oplegnathus punctatus; Sex-specific.