Characterization of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci in Munidopsis lauensis, a squat-lobster from the southwestern Pacific

Munidopsis lauensis is a deep-sea squat lobster commonly associated with hydrothermal vents at southwest Pacific back-arc spreading centers. Eight selectively neutral and unlinked polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for this species and two additional loci from a related species were successfully cross-amplified. Eight of the ten total loci conformed to Hardy–Weinberg expectations. Average observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.23 to 0.64 (mean H O = 0.50, SD = 0.15). Seven of ten loci cross-amplified in Munidopsis antonii, a closely related species. Microsatellites developed for M. lauensis are being deployed to study connectivity among populations of this species that occur at hydrothermal vents in Manus and Lau Basins.