Identification and characterisation of thirteen new microsatellites for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) from a repeat-enriched library

A total of 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.) from a repeat-enriched library. Polymorphism of each locus was assessed in 96 unrelated individuals from a natural population. The number of alleles per locus varied from 8 to 45. The ranges of observed and expected heterozygosity were 0.122-0.907 and 0.673-0.965, respectively. Four of the loci (Gmo-G24, Gmo-G40, Gmo-G46 and Gmo-G49) followed Hardy-Weinberg expectation. No evidence for linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci was found in any combination of loci pairs, except between Gmo-G40 and Gmo-G43. These microsatellite markers provide useful tools for studies of population genetics, reproductive ecology and for constructing linkage maps of Atlantic cod.