Microsatellite DNA markers for kinship analysis and genetic mapping in red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (Sciaenidae, Teleostei)

Thirty-eight nuclear-encoded microsatellites were isolated from the marine fish Sciaenops ocellatus (red drum). The species is of economic importance in the southeastern United States, and declines in abundance have led to augmentation of the 'wild' fishery with hatchery-raised fingerlings. The microsatellites will be useful for studies designed to assess larval/juvenile recruitment of hatchery-raised individuals at varying spatial and temporal scales and for assessment of genetic components contributing to variation in performance and survival of hatchery-produced fingerlings in the wild. The microsatellites also will prove useful as 'anchor' loci in constructing a genetic map.