Development and Characterization of 10 Polymorphic Microsatellite Loci in the Korean Endemic Freshwater Fish Iksookimia koreensis, and Their Cross-species Amplification in the Endemic I. longicorpa

The genus Iksookimia (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes: Cobitidae) is a bottom-dwelling freshwater loaches, which are well-known as their endemism and high geographic variation. However, population genetic relationships among Iksookimia spp. have remained unclear due to a shortage of genetic markers that can be applied generally in the genus. Here, we developed high-resolving microsatellite markers using I. koreensis and I. longicorpa as representatives of Iksookimia species because of their wide distribution range and phylogenetic position. Ten of polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from Iksookimia koreensis and were successfully cross-amplified in I. longicorpa. The mean number of observed alleles per locus was about 10.4 (range, 2-17) for I. koreensis and about 13.2 (range, 2-24) for I. longicorpa. The loci, IK03 and IK08, deviated from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in I. koreensis, after applying the Bonferroni correction. The microsatellite markers obtained in the present study will be useful to evaluate population genetic structure and to establish conservation strategies for I. koreensis and related Iksookimia species.