Species composition of by-catch from milkfish (Chanos chanos) fry fishery in selected sites in the Philippines as determined by DNA barcodes.

Milkfish fry fishery, an important industry in the Philippines, uses non-selective fishing gears and push nets in coastal areas which lead to the capture of other non-targeted juvenile aquatic species. Unfortunately, information on the amount and the identity of by-catch species is lacking thus the extent of impact of the fry fishery is not known. In this study, the species composition of milkfish fry fishery by-catch sampled from selected coastal areas that are known to be fry collection sites in the country were identified and assessed through the use of DNA barcoding. Analyses revealed that by-catch fish species of the milkfish fry industry included Black Tiger shrimp (Peneaus monodon), Tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides), Glass perchlets (Ambasis gymnocephalus and Ambasis buruensis), Ladyfish (Elops hawaiensis), Snapper (Lutjanus fulviflamma), Cardinal fishes (Apogon hyalosoma and Sphaeramia orbicularis), Whipfin siver biddy (Gerres filamentosus), Mullet (Liza sp.), Anchovy (Encrasicholina heteroloba), and Tiger perch (Terapon jarbua), almost all of which are potential marketable food fish and culture species. The results of the study provide preliminary information, as well as awareness, on the species composition of milkfish fry by-catch.