Abstract

Mitochoodrial DNA (mtDNA) has been frequently used as a molecular marker in fisheries stock assessment and has potential applications in stock enhancement. In some fish species, sequence data from the mtDNA control region exbibits enough intraspecific variability that the likelihood of two unrelated individuals being identical is very low to nil. Efforts to restore the depleted natural stocks of the striped mullet, Mugil cephalus, have been undertaken in the Pacific, through cultured fish release. In such enhancement programs the use of molecular markers, particularly during the initial pilot-scale releases, is a reliable method to estimate contributions of cultured fish to wild stocks. The purpose of this study was to create primers in the flanking tRNAs to amplify the mtDNA control region in M. cephalus as a prerequisite to then conduct population genetic studies supporting stock enhancement activities. Further study of the control region of M. cephalus will allow separation of individual stocks and the possible utilization of molecular tags to identify genetic contributions of hatchery-reared individuals to the wild population in stock eohancement activities in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean.

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