SREL Reprint #3235

Development and characterization of ten microsatellite loci for the reef manta ray Manta alfredi

Tom Kashiwagi1,2, Damien Broderick2, Stacey L. Lance3, Michael B. Bennett1, and Jennifer R. Ovenden2

1School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
2Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Queensland Government, P.O. Box 6097, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
3Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29802, USA

Abstract: We isolated and characterised ten microsatellite loci from the reef manta ray, Manta alfredi. Loci were screened for 60 individuals from Japan. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 10 and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.033 to 0.867. Cross-species amplification was successful in the sister species M. birostris (9/10 loci) and other mobulids, Mobula japanica (7/10), M. thurstoni (8/10) and M. tarapacana (5/10). These loci provide new tools for assessing population genetic structuring and genetic monitoring.

Keywords: Manta alfredi, Manta birostris, Mobula japanica, Mobula thurstoni, Mobula tarapacana, Mobulidae, Microsatellites, Effective population size, Ne, Sibship, Parentage, Population structure, Reef manta ray, Giant manta ray, IUCN

SREL Reprint #3235

Kashiwagi, T., D. Broderick, S. L. Lance, M. B. Bennett, and J. R. Ovenden. 2012. Development and characterization of ten microsatellite loci for the reef manta ray Manta alfredi. Conservation Genetic Resources 2012: 1055-1058.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).