Application of hypervariable genetic markers to forensic identification of ‘wild’ from hatchery-raised red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus M.A. Renshaw a , E. Saillant a , R.E. Broughton b , J.R. Gold a, * a Center for Biosystematics and Biodiversity, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, TX 77843-2258, USA b Oklahoma Biological Survey and Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 111 E. Chesapeake Street, Norman, Oklahoma, OK 73019, USA Received 31 December 2004; received in revised form 2 May 2005; accepted 3 May 2005 Abstract Forensic identification of ‘wild’ versus hatchery-produced (cultured) red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), an economically important marine fish in the southern United States, was assessed using hypervariable nuclear-encoded microsatellites and sequences of mitochondrial DNA. Both genotype exclusion and likelihood-ratio tests successfully identified ‘wild’ and ‘cultured’ individuals within requisite error bounds and within the context of complete parental sampling. Of the two, genotype exclusion was more effective, producing satisfactory results with fewer microsatellites and larger allowable error rates. Assignment tests proved ineffective, most likely because of the low level of genetic divergence between the sampled populations. An optimal, minimum set of ten markers that will reduce potential genotyping costs is identified. Results of the study should allay concerns regarding identification of ‘wild’-caught fish sold illegally. # 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Microsatellites; Forensic genetics; ‘Wild’ versus hatchery-raised fish The existence of a legal market for wildlife meat and/or parts raises the issue of eventual sale of a legal species obtained or marketed illegally. Examples include sale with- out proper licensing, use of illegal gear for capture, or procurement from a protected area such as a park or wildlife reserve [1–3]. A forensic issue in these cases is how to discriminate the illegal samples from the legal ones. In this paper, we focus on this issue using as an example the red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, an estuarine-dependent sciaenid fish found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the south- eastern United States. Juvenile red drum are exposed to heavy recreational fishing in bays and estuaries, and declines in population abundance led to rather extreme fishing restric- tions in most U.S. waters [4]. One consequence is that red drum are now cultured in several southern states [5–7], and in Texas there currently is an extensive stock-enhancement program where red drum fingerlings are released into numer- ous Texas bays and estuaries [5]. The ready availability of hatchery-spawned red drum fingerlings and juveniles makes them ideal for offshore aquaculture. The creation of a market for red drum cultured offshore, however, could generate illegal sale of ‘wild’ red drum if ‘wild’ individuals (caught by angling or netting) are marketed as hatchery-produced individuals. We evaluated the potential for nuclear-encoded microsatellites and sequences from the mitochondrially encoded D-loop or control region to distinguish ‘wild’-caught red drum from hatchery-produced individuals that could be grown www.elsevier.com/locate/forsciint Forensic Science International 156 (2006) 9–15 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 979 847 8778; fax: +1 979 845 4096. E-mail address: goldfish@tamu.edu (J.R. Gold). 0379-0738/$ – see front matter # 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.05.038