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Updated: May 4, 2026

DNA-based Fish Species Identification Protocol
Published on: April 28, 2010
Shake and stew: a non-destructive PCR-ready DNA isolation method from a single preserved fish larva
J R Alvarado Bremer1, B L Smith, D L Moulton
1Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, OCSB 3029, Galveston, TX, 77554, U.S.A.; Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 210 Nagle Hall, TAMU 2258, College Station, TX, 75044, U.S.A.
Abstract:
A rapid non-destructive alternative to isolate DNA from an individual fish larva is presented, based on the suspension of epithelial cells through vortex forces, and the release of DNA in a heated alkaline solution. DNA from >6056 fish larvae isolated using this protocol has yielded a high PCR amplification success rate (>93%), suggesting its applicability to other taxonomic groups or sources when tissue amount is the limiting factor.

