Biodiversity of Hong Kong purse seine fisheries: An integrated DNA barcode reference library

Abstract Here we present a multi-marker DNA barcoding library for Hong Kong marine fishes (Teleostei), cephalopods (Mollusca), and crustaceans (Arthropoda) frequently captured by purse seine fisheries. In total, 605 specimens were morphologically identified with 562 specimens sequenced and assigned to 185 fish species from 146 genera, 64 families, and 26 orders; 8 cephalopod species from 6 genera, 4 families and 4 orders (24 specimens); and 13 crustacean species from 10 genera, 5 families and 1 order (19 specimens). The barcode library includes mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA (12S) barcodes for fishes, and COI and mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S) barcodes for cephalopods and crustaceans. Specimens were assigned to species-level using integrated morphological and genetic assessment. The library represents the first barcode reference dataset for marine fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans from Hong Kong, increasing our knowledge of species diversity, enabling accurate identification of the three nekton groups and improving species identification reliability for eDNA metabarcoding studies in Hong Kong waters and the northern South China Sea.