Microsatellite markers for Longfin Dace, Agosia chrysogaster, a sentinel fish species in imperiled arid-land rivers of the Sonoran Desert

摘要

We isolated and characterized 16 microsatellite DNA loci in Longfin Dace, Agosia chrysogaster, a minnow native to Sonoran Desert streams (southwestern US and northwestern Mexico). After optimization, all primer pairs produced consistently scorable products. Genetic diversity metrics were determined for each locus using 50 individuals from two populations in the Gila River basin, New Mexico. Allelic richness ranged from 2 to 37 and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.08 to 0.95 across loci. These microsatellites offer a powerful tool to study effects of habitat fragmentation, dewatering, and climate change on population connectivity and genetic diversity in this species. Moreover, Longfin Dace co-occurs with more geographically restricted and endangered desert fish species. Genetic information for Longfin Dace could provide an important comparative dataset to assist conservation and management of other imperiled fishes in the region.