Single nucleotide polymorphism markers for assessing potential maternal population structure in European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

Abstract

The European eel is considered to be panmictic. However, this view has been challenged by results based on maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA that suggest female philopatric behavior. Resolving this issue is of high importance, as it is the prerequisite for efficient conservation efforts. We developed a total of 91 SNPs adequate for re-testing panmixia in European eel (Anguilla anguilla), including 24 mitochondrial and 67 nuclear markers. We demonstrate their utility for genotyping eel larvae caught at the spawning grounds in the Sargasso sea, which could be used to test female philopatric behavior in European eel.