Isolation and characterisation of eighteen microsatellite markers from the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra (Echinodermata : Holothuriidae)

Abstract

We isolated 18 new, polymorphic, microsatellite markers from Holothuria scabra, a commercially important species of sea cucumber found throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Next-generation sequencing was used to identify 206 unique loci for which primers were designed. Of these unique loci, we trialled 65 primer pairs in the target species, and 48 (74%) amplified a product of the expected size. Eighteen loci were found to be polymorphic and reliable, and were screened for variation in 50 individuals, from a single population from Croker Island, Northern Territory, Australia. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.00 to 0.96 (mean = 0.46) and the number of alleles per locus from 2 to 28 (mean = 9.61). These loci will be useful for the investigation of population structure and mating systems in H. scabra and may also be of use in other holothurian species.