A set of microsatellite markers for the threatened Murray hardyhead, Craterocephalus fluviatilis (Pisces: Atherinidae) from the southern Murray–Darling Basin

A new set of 16 microsatellite markers was isolated and characterized for the threatened Australian freshwater fish Murray hardyhead Craterocephalus fluviatilis (Atherinidae) using a next generation sequencing approach. Seventy-eight fish from wild and captive populations were genotyped at all markers. All markers were polymorphic, with average allelic diversity of 5.7 and heterozygosity of 0.46. These markers will benefit substantially the ongoing conservation program of a critically endangered lineage of C. fluviatilis that includes captive breeding, relatedness and paternity analyses, reintroduction, and landscape genetics.