Development and characterization of twenty-three microsatellite markers for the purpleback flying squid (Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis)

The purpleback flying squid (Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis) is a pelagic squid that is facing the serious threat of large-scale commercial exploitation in the South China Sea. In this study, microsatellites were developed for the first time in this species using biotinylated probes for hybridization and library screening. Twenty-three polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized in a wild population. The number of alleles varied from 5 to 28, and the observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.220 to 0.867 and 0.374 to 0.958, respectively. Significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium values were detected in six loci. These markers will facilitate further studies in conservation of genetic diversity and sustainable utilization of S. oualaniensis.