Microsatellite primers for the Atlantic coastal killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus, with applicability to related Fundulus species

The mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), a common Atlantic coastal killifish, is a model vertebrate species for the study of molecular genetic variation in natural populations and of environmental toxicology. We report the development of a set of 20 microsatellite loci in this species. Average expected heterozygosity across all loci was 0.84 (range: 0.60-0.97), revealing a high level of variability at most loci. A survey of seven additional Fundulus species yielded one or two robust amplification products in over half (63%) of the species-primer combinations tested. Therefore, many of these loci will also prove useful in studies of other members of the genus Fundulus.