Identification of SNP markers for population genetics studies of the Mediterranean gorgonian, Leptogorgia sarmentosa

A set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) was developed from the transcriptome of the gorgonian Leptogorgia sarmentosa . 21,491 putative SNPs were identified, and a selected set of 320 SNPs was tested using a MassARRAY System on 95 samples from the NW Mediterranean. A total of 153 SNPs were successfully genotyped and found to be polymorphic. The newly developed loci will be a valuable tool for population genetics studies of one of the most ubiquitous gorgonian species in the Mediterranean Sea.