Parentage determination of Kuruma prawn shrimp Penaeus (Marsupenaeus) japonicus using microsatellite markers

Abstract

The application of microsatellite markers for parentage determination is gaining both acceptance and popularity in aquaculture. In this study we used simulations and controlled matings to examine the potential of microsatellite markers in assigning parentage to Kuruma shrimp (Penaeus japonicus) progeny. Simulations based on allele frequency data from a captive population of P. japonicus demonstrated that at least five loci would be required to assign progeny to their correct maternal parent (with 95% confidence) when drawn from a breeding population of 30 dams and 150 putative sires. Based on this information, nauplii from 22 matings where maternal parents were known were typed at six microsatellite loci and subjected to parentage analysis. Assignment success of progeny to their “true” mother was lower than predicted by the simulations, with only 47% of progeny assigned correctly. Null alleles and allelic dropout resulting from poor quality DNA contributed to this disparity. The benefits of DNA parentage analysis as a tool to retain pedigree information in shrimp selective breeding programs are discussed.