Microsatellite markers for the cardinal tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi, a commercially important fish from central Amazonia

The cardinal tetra Paracheirodon axelrodi is a very popular aquarium fish and the most important ornamental fishery resource for riverine communities inhabiting the Rio Negro floodplain in central Amazonia. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of 14 microsatellite DNA loci for cardinal tetras. Number of alleles and heterozygosity per locus in a sample of 30 fish ranged from 2 to 22 and from 0.49 to 0.92, respectively. These markers provide powerful tools for studies on conservation and management of cardinal tetra resources and for investigating evolutionary processes underlying population diversification in Amazonian flooded forest fishes.