Identification of novel microsatellite markers for P. argenteus from Kuwait waters

Silver pomfret is a coastal fish of economic significance. While its natural populations have dwindled due to various human activities, the genetic information on this species is still limited. We have used the next generation sequencing to identify microsatellites and developed corresponding primers in Arabian Gulf populations. PCR studies were performed on the 48 short-listed loci across multiple individuals from Iranian and Kuwait waters. Twenty-seven polymorphic loci were analyzed and 16 of them showed significant deviations from expected Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, for the Iranian or Kuwait populations. The developed primers may be highly useful for detailed population genetic studies of silver pomfret from various geographical locations.