Identification of seventeen microsatellite loci for conservation genetic studies of the endemic wrasse Coris bulbifrons

Abstract

Coral reefs around the world are in decline, in part due to various anthropogenic factors, including fishing pressure. Coris bulbifrons is a large wrasse endemic to only four oceanic locations off Australia’s east coast: Middleton Reef, Elizabeth Reef, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The species is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN due to the potential threat of overfishing. Although these remote locations, some within Marine protected Areas, experience limited fishing pressure, populations may quickly decline with minimal fishing effort as seen in the overfishing of other large wrasses. We developed primers for 17 microsatellite loci to examine gene flow, population genetic structure, and genetic diversity within and among these four locations. Observed heterozygosities ranged 0.126–0.752 in 37 individuals from Lord Howe Island indicating that these loci will be useful in C. bulbifrons population genetic studies.