Characterization and isolation of DNA microsatellite primers in the cardinalfish (Apogon doederleini)

Proper management of reef areas depends greatly on understanding the degree of dispersal of each species involved. The larvae of most reef fishes disperse from the natal reef before or soon after hatching and return to the reef environment after a pre-settlement stage of several days to weeks. We characterized eight polymorphic microsatellite loci for the cardinal fish Apogon doederleini to study the spatial scale of connectivity of populations of different reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia