Development of microsatellite markers for Mytilus coruscus (Mytilidae), an economically important mussel in the East China Sea.

Twelve new polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for the hard-shelled mussel, Mytilus coruscus. In 32 individuals from a wild population of coastal Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, China, the number of alleles at these loci varied from 3 to 15, with a mean of 5.667. The mean observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.6927 and 0.6591, respectively. Among these polymorphic microsatellite loci, three (MC42, MC129, and MC180) significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after sequential Bonferroni's correction. All other microsatellite loci were in linkage equilibrium. These microsatellite loci will be useful for detecting genetic differences and for planning aquaculture management of M. coruscus.