The results indicated that the grouper species belonging to the
genus, Epinephelus, could be identified in raw, chilled, frozen and
cooked forms by targeting the mt 16S rRNA gene fragment by using
genus specific primers viz. GenF and EpiR. The PCR-RFLP method
developed was first of its kind by utilizing the 16S rRNA gene for
identifying the cooked (heat-processed) grouper species as well as
well as in differentiating the interspecies (E. areolatus, E. bleekeri, E.
faveatus, E. longispinis and E. undulosus) variation among the
grouper genus, Epinephelus.