Isolation and characterization of twenty microsatellite loci for the ballan wrasse, Labrus bergylta

We developed 20 nuclear microsatellite DNA markers from tri- and tetra-nucleotide enriched libraries in the ballan wrasse. In our dataset (N = 241), the detected number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 12, and the observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.251 to 0.778 and from 0.286 to 0.804, respectively. Cross amplification with the goldsinny wrasse resulted in two usable loci whereas the corkwing wrasse amplified in one locus. The ballan wrasse is an important resource for aquaculture as it delouses farmed salmon efficiently and removes organic matter from farming facilities. In order to obtain individuals for this industry, the wrasse are translocated along the Norwegian coastline, in spite of no knowledge of the population structure. This paper enables such studies, which might be important for the long term management of the species.