Characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci for the spiny lobster Panulirus spp. and their utility to be applied to other Panulirus lobsters

Abstract

The ornate spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus is a commercially important fishery and aquaculture species throughout south-east Asia and Australia. Thirty microsatellite markers were developed for P. ornatus of which 15 loci were consistently amplified and exhibited adequate levels of polymorphism for parentage and population genetic applications. Number of alleles observed per locus ranged from 2 to 23 (mean NA = 9.1 ± 1.4). Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.03–0.98 (HO mean = 0.61 ± 0.06) to 0.03–0.94 (HE mean = 0.66 ± 0.06), respectively. Microsatellite markers were also tested in three related Panulirus species, P. homarus, P. versicolor, and P. argus, with varying levels of amplification success and polymorphism exhibited.