Development of polymorphic microsatellite markers for the pulmonate limpet Siphonaria australis

Eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from the pulmonate limpet Siphonaria australis , an intertidal mollusc endemic to New Zealand. Genetic variation was characterized in 30 individuals from the Wellington region. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 33, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.400 to 0.967. No significant linkage disequilibrium was detected between locus pairs, and 10 loci showed no significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These microsatellite markers are currently being used to study genetic connectivity among S. australis populations.