Molecular markers based phylogenetic inferences reveals cryptic lineage within Sepiella inermis species complex

Over the last two decades, genetic and phylogeographic studies in cephalopods around the world have identified many species complexes and cryptic species. In the present study, Sepiella inermis samples were collected from different landing centres along the Eastern Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal to investigate the distribution of this species in a phylogeographic context. Morphological analysis did not show distinct differences between two populations. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene and 16S rRNA gene. In our study, we observed two genetically distinct clades (pair-wise genetic divergence varied between 7.7 and 9.1