Ten microsatellite loci for the reef-building coral Acropora millepora (Cnidaria, Scleractinia) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Abstract

Here we present nine novel, polymorphic microsatellite loci developed for the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora (Acroporidae) from the Great Barrier Reef. In addition, we have assessed the specificity and polymorphism of five microsatellite loci previously developed for a Caribbean congener and one locus developed for an Indo-Pacific congener. Only one of the latter six loci produced reliable results, yielding a total of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci for A. millepora. Variability was tested on 20-23 individuals from a single population, plus another ~10 individuals from each of three different populations, resulting in five to 20 alleles per locus.