© 2005 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea
Novel DNA markers for rapid, accurate, and cost-effective discrimination of the continental origin of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
a Fisheries Research Services, Freshwater Fisheries Laboratory Faskally, Pitlochry PH16 5LB, UK
b Fisheries Research Services, Marine Laboratory PO Box 101, Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB11 9DB, Scotland, UK
*Correspondence to J. Gilbey: tel: +44 1224 294459; fax: +44 1796 472060. e-mail: gilbeyj{at}marlab.ac.uk.
Salmon from geographically representative rivers in North America and Europe were typed for variation at the microsatellite locus SS1 and the mitochondrial DNA ND-1 restriction site 3971, using PCR amplification and agarose-gel electrophoresis. North American salmon showed near-fixation for SS1 alleles between 129 and 135 bp in length and the N mtDNA restriction type, while European salmon near-fixation for SS1 alleles between 183 and 219 bp and the A/D mtDNA type. Based on the observed variant frequencies, using these two markers in combination is predicted to give correct assignment of >99.5% of salmon to continent-of-origin. As both these continental markers can be screened by agarose-gel electrophoresis, their use offers a more rapid, cheaper, and simpler method for accurate assignment of Atlantic salmon to continent-of-origin than do existing methods. These markers can be applied to the identification of salmon in North Atlantic high-seas fisheries, in aquaculture stocks, and in rivers to determine the continent-of-origin of fish-farm escapes.
Keywords: continental origin, microsatellite marker, mtDNA, stock discrimination
Received 1 April 2005; accepted 10 July 2005.