Fifteen novel microsatellite markers for two Amphiprion species (Amphiprion frenatus and Amphiprion perideraion) and cross-species amplification

Anemonefishes are popular model species for research on population connectivity via larval dispersal, and understanding this connectivity is beneficial when designing marine protected areas. We developed 15 microsatellite markers for two anemonefishes, Amphiprion frenatus and Amphiprion perideraion. Of these 15 markers, 10 worked well for both species, while three were specific for A. frenatus and two were specific for A. perideraion. For A. frenatus, the number of alleles at each locus ranged from 4 to 28, and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.258 to 0.938 and from 0.285 to 0.953, respectively. For A. perideraion, the respective numbers were 4–14, 0.344–0.969, and 0.412–0.868. These microsatellite markers will be useful for the study of population connectivity in these two species.