Isolation and characterization of thirteen microsatellite markers for the rabbitfish, Siganus fuscescens

The mottled spinefoot, Siganus fuscescens , is an economically important rabbitfish species widely distributed in shallow waters throughout the Indo-Pacific. We describe methods for the identification of thirteen novel microsatellite markers for S. fuscescens using an enrichment protocol. The loci were screened in 126 individuals, revealing moderate to high levels of polymorphism with 5 to 28 alleles per locus and observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.111 to 0.921. No significant deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were detected. These polymorphic microsatellites will be useful for studies of genetic diversity, population structure, and demographic connectivity of S. fuscescens.