Identification of Sea Cucumber Holothuria (Lessonothuria) Pardalis (Selenka, 1867) and Holothuria (Semperothuria) Cinerascens (Brandt, 1835) (Family-Holothuriidae) based on Morphological and Mitochondrial DNA Evidence and Phylogenetic Analysis from Karachi Coast, Pakistan

The conventional taxonomy on sea cucumbers is challenging due to their morphological complexity. Molecular investigation of the class Holothuroidea was initiated for further clarity regarding systematics and this class. A molecular phylogeny constructed by using maximum likelihood methods, unveiled variation in existing taxonomic classification, which largely based morphology calcareous parts. H. pardalis cinerascens from Pakistan identified morphologically but no information found with regard identification. This first research describing identification 16S rRNA COI genes Karachi Coast Pakistan. Comparisons mitochondrial accessioned cucumber sequences GenBank confirmed H.pardalis’ identity. study report H.pardalis rRNAand gene Coast,