Use of Microsatellite DNA as Genetic Tags for the Assessment of a Stock Enhancement Program of Red Sea Bream

Abstract

The feasibility of microsatellite DNA as genetic tags for the evaluation of stock enhancement programs was assessed. Five microsatellite DNA loci were used to obtain the microsatellite fingerprint of two samples of red sea bream Pagrus major, taken from the wild. The fingerprint of the broodstock used for the stock enhancement program carried out by the Kochi Prefecture Aquaculture Center was also obtained. The low probabilities of identity observed (5.7 × 10^-9 and 3.3 × 10^-10 for the two analyzed samples) indicated the potential of microsatellites for the identification of individual fish. A parentage test performed between the wild fish and the broodstock indicated that there were no released fish in the samples taken from the wild. Possible reasons for these findings are discussed in terms of a low abundance of released fish in the sampling area due to a low mixing ratio between the released fish and the wild population, combined with a probable high mortality rate of the fish after the release. The use of microsatellites as genetic tags is recommended for the evaluation of release programs of red sea bream.