Transcriptome derived microsatellite markers of Tetraclita kuroshioensis and cross amplification among Tetraclita spp.

Tetraclita barnacles are common intertidal organisms distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. These barnacles are good models for testing population dynamics and phylogeographic hypotheses in the intertidal zone. In this study, eight microsatellite markers were isolated from Tetraclita kuroshioensis through transcriptome sequencing. A total of three to eight alleles were revealed from each locus. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.433 to 0.933 and from 0.505 to 0.762, respectively. Cross amplification among five Tetraclita barnacle species found in the Indo-West Pacific was successful with all eight microsatellite markers, although success rate varied among species. Therefore, the microsatellite markers developed in this study can be useful tools in future genetic studies with tetraclitid barnacles.