Microsatellite Variability of the Arctic Rainbow Smelt Osmerusdentex from the White Sea

Abstract

We studied the genetic variability of ten microsatellite loci in Arctic rainbow smelt datasets from Kandalaksha and Mezen bays of the White Sea. Average estimates of expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.116 to 0.640 at different loci, with an average of 0.407. Smelt from Kandalaksha Bay is characterized by lower values of genetic diversity (H_E = 0.365–0.369, A_R = 3.1–3.15) compared to dataset from Mezen Bay (H_E = 0.486, A_R = 4.02). Significant genetic divergence between the smelt of Kandalaksha and Mezen bays is shown; the overall estimate of genetic differentiation θ = 7.8% with 95% confidence bootstrap interval [2.8–13.6%].