RNA from skin samples of 12 Arctocephalus gazella (Antarctic fur seal) individuals was pooled into one sample, then normalised cDNA was synthesised using the Evrogen SMART cDNA synthesis service. The cDNA was sequenced on the Roche 454 titanium platform. The resulting reads were assembled and BLAST mapped to the dog genome and the non-redundant protein dataset. Finally, putative microsatellites and SNPs were identified.