Panmictic stock structure of milkfish ( ,Forssål 1775) from Indian waters determined using mtDNA marker.

Milkfish () belongs to the family Chanidae and it is a potential candidate species for aquaculture with the best biological characteristics. This study investigates the genetic diversity and population structure of . along the Indian coast using cytochrome b (cyt b) sequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). A total of 90 samples collected from five different locations across the Indian coast were sequenced for analysis using cyt b. The sequencing of a 1100-bp cyt b mtDNA fragment revealed the presence of 38 haplotypes with a haplotype diversity value of 0.835 and a nucleotide diversity value of 0.00400. The variation within and among populations accounted for about 97.33% and 2.67%, respectively. The fixation index analysis indicated that there is no significant genetic divergence among the populations from different geographical areas. Neighbour-joining tree analysis of the haplotype data showed no distinct patterns of phylogeographic structure. Results from this study indicated that there is a lack of genetic divergence between the populations of . along the Indian coast. The haplotype network showed star-like geneology which indicated the demographic expansion of the . population in these locations. The recent demographic expansion of the . population was also supported by the results of Tajima's statistics. Results from this study can be used for planning effective strategies for the conservation and management of the . population in the wild.