Characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci for the calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna Klautau et al. 2004 introduced to the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Nine polymorphic microsatellite markers are described for the calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna. Microsatellite were isolated from a genomic library enriched for AC15, AG15, CAA10 and GATA7 repeats. The microsatellite motifs were perfect, imperfect, and compound. The polymorphism of the microsatellite loci was screened in a total of 35 individuals from two populations: western Mediterranean (Blanes, NE Spain) and Atlantic Ocean (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). All loci were polymorphic and the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 9 with an average of ca. 5 alleles per locus. Significant genetic differentiation was observed between populations. These markers have been used successfully for analysing population structure at short spatial and temporal scales, and are promising for assessing the historic pathways of the introduction of this exotic sponge, which risks to become invasive in the Mediterranean. These are the first microsatellites developed for any calcareous sponge.