Characterization of thirty two microsatellite loci for three Atlanto-Mediterranean echinoderm

Abstract. Thirty two microsatellites were optimized from 454 pyrosequencing libraries for three Atlanto-Mediterranean 15 echinoderms: Coscinasterias tenuispina, Echinaster sepositus and Arbacia lixula. We observed different frequency of 16 microsatellite types (di-, tri-, tetraand pentanucleotide) throughout the genome of the species, but no significant 17 differences were observed in allele richness among different microsatellite repeats. No loci showed linkage disequilibrium. 18 Heterozygosity deficit and departure from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were observed for some loci, in two species, 19 probably due to high levels of inbreeding. Heterozygosity excess observed in C. tenuispina could be explained by selection 20 against homozygotes and/or outcrossing. 21