Analysis of genetic variability in Aristaeomorpha foliacea (Crustacea, Aristeidae) using DNA-ISSR (Inter Simple Sequence Repeats) markers

This work reports the first genetic data of Aristaeomorpha foliacea, a marine decapod of high commercial value, from six Mediterranean localities and one new fishing ground in the Mozambique Channel. The use of five Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) primers provided 150 polymorphic loci. Average estimates of genetic diversity did not significantly differ among sampled localities, with a mean value of heterozygosity H = 0.105 ± 0.015. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) allocated > 98% of genetic variability to the within-sample component, displaying values higher than those previously reported in ISSR studies on marine invertebrates. Cluster analyses did not detect geographically or genetically distinct groups. The observed lack of large-scale genetic differentiation is discussed in relation to the high potential for larval dispersal of the species and to features of the marker employed.