Genetic structure of Octopus vulgaris around the Iberian Peninsula and Canary Islands as indicated by microsatellite DNA variation

Microsatellite DNA markers were used for a genetic study of Octopus vulgaris, a cephalopod species of great commercial interest to Spain and Portugal, and therefore subjected to intensive fishing. Improving the demographic knowledge of marine resources supports more-responsible management and conservation. Genetic variation at five microsatellite loci screened in six samples from NE Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of the Iberian Peninsula was high [mean number of alleles = 18.3, mean H-e = 0.874). Analysis of the microsatellites allowed significant subpopulation structure to be identified, consistent with an isolation-by-distance model for Atlantic populations. Differences between pairs of samples separated by <200 km were not significant. From a fisheries management perspective, the results support coordinated management of neighbouring stocks of O. vulgaris around the Iberian Peninsula.