Isolation and characterization of fourteen microsatellite loci from the endangered octocoral Eunicella verrucosa (Pallas 1766)

We isolated 165 unique microsatellite sequences from the threatened and IUCN red-listed octocoral Eunicella verrucosa (common name: pink sea fan). Two enriched genomic libraries were created from a single individual collected in Lyme Bay, Dorset, England. Following testing of 76 markers, 14 loci were then selected, multiplexed and characterised in 44 individuals sampled at the Mewstone Ledges, Plymouth Sound, Devon, England. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 10 and expected heterozygosities from 0.05 to 0.82. The presence of null alleles was suggested for four loci, with three showing significant deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No linkage disequilibrium was detected. Cross-species utility was assessed in Eunicella singularis (n = 20), E. cavolinii (n = 12) and Leptogorgia sarmentosa (n = 3) collected from the Mediterranean and southern Portugal. At least ten loci were polymorphic in each Eunicella species and five in L. sarmentosa. These markers should prove useful in exploring population structure in these as yet poorly studied animals.