Isolation and genetic diversity analysis of microsatellites from nine species of familiar snappers

Thirty-seven microsatellite loci were isolated from the genomic library of L. russellii with PCR. Cross-species iso- lations with those markers were carried out for nine familiar species of snappers (L. erythropterus, L. argentimaculatus, L. stellatus, L. johnii, L. sebae, L. fulvus, L. fulviflamma, L. vitta and L. ophuysenii), and their genetic diversities were also evaluated. There were 10 microsatellite loci isolated successfully in nine species and 13 loci in partial species. The average expected heterozygosity, average observed heterozygosity and Hardy-Weinberg departure index under Hardy-Weinberg equi- librium in the nine species of snappers were 0.730-1.000, 0.716-0.915, (-0.002) - (-0.214), respectively. The results indicate that the genetic diversities of genus Lutjanus is in a relatively high level. In addition, the clear explain of prevalent absence of heterozygotes in all research species may request further research on fishes of genus Lutjanus.