The American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) is an economically and ecologically important species, which is currently categorized as endangered in Mexico. L. polyphemus, one of four extant horseshoe crab species that constitute the class Merostomata, is distributed along the Atlantic coastline of the USA from Alabama to Maine and has another population on the coastline of Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. In the present study, we evaluated the genetic diversity and genetic structure of four separated localities along the coast of the Yucatan peninsula (Champoton, CH; Isla Arena, IA; Rio Lagartos, RL; and Holbox Island, HI), using nine microsatellite-type molecular markers for this species. The aim of this study is to obtain a baseline of the current level of genetic diversity, which would allow the monitoring of important changes over time. Multilocus analyses revealed moderate levels of genetic diversity (He, 0.5230 to 0.6389) and genetic structure within the whole study area (F_ST 0.025). The population from RL showed limited gene flows, differing significantly from the other sampling sites. The genetic information obtained in this study can support the implementation of management and conservation programs for this species in Mexico.

美洲鲎 ( Limulus polyphemus ) 是一种具有重要经济和生态意义的物种，目前在墨西哥被列为濒危物种。L. polyphemus, 构成分口类的四种现存马蹄蟹之一，分布于美国从阿拉巴马州到缅因州的大西洋海岸线，在墨西哥尤卡坦半岛的坎佩切、尤卡坦和金塔纳罗奥州的海岸线上也有其他种群。在本研究中，我们使用九个微型卫星评估了尤卡坦半岛沿岸四个独立地点（瑞士查普顿；爱荷华州伊斯拉阿雷纳；里约拉加托斯，RL；和霍尔博克斯岛，HI）的遗传多样性和遗传结构。键入该物种的分子标记。这项研究的目的是获得当前遗传多样性水平的基线，这将允许监测随时间发生的重要变化。多位点分析揭示了中等水平的遗传多样性 ( He, 0.5230 至 0.6389) 和整个研究区域内的遗传结构 (F _ST 0.025)。来自 RL 的种群显示出有限的基因流，与其他采样点有显着差异。本研究中获得的遗传信息可以支持在墨西哥实施该物种的管理和保护计划。