Isolation and characterisation of 11 microsatellite loci in the abyssal carapine grenadier Coryphaenoides carapinus (Actinoperygii, Macrouridae) and cross-amplification in two other deep-sea macrourid species

Microsatellites represent an important tool for characterising population structure, for attributing individuals to stocks, and for revealing ecological processes taking place on population and meta-population levels. A sound knowledge of population structure is essential for sustainable management of exploited fish stocks, and helps to understand population connectivity and speciation. We developed for the first time primers for microsatellite loci in the carapine grenadier, Coryphaenoides carapinus, inhabiting the abyssal Atlantic. Eleven microsatellites were obtained from partial genomic DNA libraries enriched for tetranucleotide repeats. The loci were characterised in three unrelated individuals and nine loci were found to be polymorphic. Cross-amplification in two commercially exploited deep-sea macrourid species (Coryphaenoides rupestris and Macrourus berglax) resolved two polymorphic loci in each species.