First polymorphic microsatellites for the gyrodactylids (Monogenea), an important group of fish pathogens

We describe the isolation of microsatellites from three monogenean flatworms (Gyrodactylus turnbulli, G. bullatarudis and G. salaris) which have utility for evolutionary studies and pathogen diagnosis. Six polymorphic loci (1-5 alleles each) were isolated from G. turnbulli and seven from G. bullatarudis; observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.05 to 0.46 and from 0.1 to 0.5, respectively. Only monomorphic loci were isolated in G. salaris. These microsatellites will be useful for determining the mechanism of gyrodactylid reproduction and understanding the role of these important pathogens in the evolutionary history of their fish hosts.