Isolation and characterization of 23 microsatellite loci in the yellow tang, Zebrasoma flavescens (Pisces: Acanthuridae).

Twenty-three microsatellites were isolated from the yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), an ecologically and commercially important reef fish. Genetic diversity was assessed in 90 adults collected from Honokohau, Hawaii. The number of alleles per locus varied from four to 29 (mean = 13.8) and observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.15 to 0.94 (mean = 0.70) and from 0.29 to 0.93 (mean = 0.81), respectively. Eight loci exhibited significant departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium due to the presence of null alleles. Exact tests showed no evidence of genotypic disequilibrium between loci. Overall, loci were well resolved, easy to score and highly polymorphic.