Response to domestication and selection for growth in the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in separate and mixed tanks

Selective breeding of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) receives a growing interest, as the estimated heritability of growth is medium to high. In this study, we compared the offspring of four groups of sea bass sires, mated with the same wild dams: wild (W), first generation of domestication (D), first generation of mass selection for length (M), first generation of PROSPER-like selection for length (P). The comparison was done both in replicated tanks (separate rearing) and in mixed tanks (mixed rearing) where sire origins were recovered by genotyping of eight microsatellite markers. Weight, length and growth rate were measured from day 238 post-fertilization (69 g mean weight) to day 611 post-fertilization (390 g mean weight). Both in mixed and separate tanks, both selected groups (P, M) were larger than unselected groups (W, D). No difference was seen at any time between W and D, nor between M and P. The selection response estimate on weight was larger in mixed tanks when compared to separate tanks (+ 42% in mixed tanks, + 23% in separate tanks at day 611), yielding realized heritability estimates of 0.60 and 0.34, respectively, and confirming the excellent potential of the species for growth improvement through selective breeding. Both selection response and the amplification effect between mixed and separate tanks decreased as rearing density increased. Our hypothesis is that selection response is magnified by competition in mixed tanks, while sub-optimal rearing conditions lower the observed selection response, more in separate tanks (where selected thus larger fish are at a higher density than unselected ones) than in mixed tanks (where all fish experience the same density effects).     

草鱼生长性状的遗传参数和育种值估计

利用草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)生长性状选育核心群亲本,采用人工授精方式构建21个全同胞家系,并选用动物模型对16月龄草鱼生长性状进行遗传参数和育种值估计。结果显示,草鱼选育种群的生长性状存在丰富变异。采用约束极大似然法估计方差组分,发现草鱼体重、体长和体高性状的遗传力分别为0.39,0.47,0.21,属于中高遗传力;肥满度性状遗传力为0.11,属于低遗传力;4个性状的共同环境效应值相近且较小,范围为0.07~0.17。采用两性状动物模型分析相关性,发现体重、体长和体高性状间表型和遗传相关系数均达到高度正相关(r=0.88~0.97),而肥满度性状与三者间相关系数接近零,只与体高性状存在一定遗传正相关(r=0.43)。结合各性状遗传变异系数和相对遗传进度,分析表明,以体重为目标性状可便捷有效地改良草鱼生长性能。采用最佳线性无偏估计法预测个体育种值,发现4个性状育种值与表型值的相关系数范围为0.77~0.93。基于单性状育种值和表型值分别进行个体选择,按10%留种率,各性状选留个体相同率为68.75%~81.82%,秩相关系数范围为0.19~0.81,两种选择方式显示出较大差异,且差异大小与性状遗传力成反比例。本研究为草鱼生长性状选择育种提供了理论依据和技术支撑。     

凡纳滨对虾生长与高氨氮耐受性的遗传力及选择反应研究

基于选择指数法对凡纳滨对虾(Litopenaeus vannamei)生长和高氨氮耐受性进行选择,用3种方法评估选择效果:Ⅰ)比较选择系和对照系相关性状的育种值;Ⅱ)比较选择家系和对照家系的最小二乘均值;Ⅲ)比较选择系与对照系表型值,计算相关性状的现实遗传力、遗传获得,并采用BLUP法估算相关性状的遗传力及遗传相关。结果显示,生长性状的选择反应为0.493~1.039,高氨氮耐受存活的选择反应为0.028~0.046;凡纳滨对虾生长性状的现实遗传力为0.288~0.315,遗传获得为6.45%~20.16%,高氨氮耐受成活率的现实遗传力为0.016,遗传获得为2.09%;BLUP法估算生长性状遗传力为0.216~0.284,且显著(P0.05),高氨氮耐受性遗传力为0.028±0.026,生长性状间呈高度遗传正相关为0.871~0.948,体质量与高氨氮耐受性间的正遗传相关为0.180±0.032,且显著(P0.05)。研究表明,采用选择指数法选育一代后,生长性状提高明显,高氨氮耐受性提高较小;选育群体生长性状具有较大遗传改良潜力,如何快速提高选育群体的高氨氮耐受性有待进一步研究。     

Genetic (co)variation in harvest body weight and survival in Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei under standard commercial conditions

In 1997, CENIACUA (Centro de Investigaciones para la Acuicultura en Colombia) in collaboration with AKVAFORSK (Institute of Aquaculture Research, Norway) initiated a family-based selection scheme in Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei to improve growth rate and survival in ponds and tanks. This paper reports results from a series of tests in which a total of 430 full-sib families (representing 204 paternal half-sib families) were tested for harvest weight and survival in standard commercial and intensive growing environments. The families originated from two selected lines. The estimates of heritability (h²±S.E.) for harvest weight for the two lines were 0.24±0.05 and 0.17±0.04, and the corresponding estimates for survival in pond/tanks were 0.04±0.02 and 0.10±0.02. Results showed a favorable correlation between the estimated mean full-sib family breeding values for harvest weight and pond/tank survival (0.42 in line 1 and 0.40 in line 2) indicating that selecting for growth will cause a positive correlated response in overall survival. The genetic correlations between body weights and pond/tank survival in different grow-out environments were high, demonstrating low genotype by farm interaction (GXE) for both traits.     

牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)家系生长性状遗传效应分析

牙鲆(Paralichthys olivaceus)优良养殖新品种培育是防止其品种退化和提高经济效益的主要途径,数量性状遗传评估是牙鲆育种的主要方法之一.本研究利用已建立的牙鲆核心群体建立42个牙鲆家系,分别测量140、170、200、380日龄各家系生长相关性状(体重、全长和体宽),通过MINQUE、REML和BLUP方法对其进行数量遗传分析.结果显示,不同时期生长性状的变异系数为10.56％-38.62％,其中,体重的变异系数最大,全长和体宽的变异系数都较小,不同性状的变异系数均随着日龄的增加而减小.3个性状的加性方差分量比率为(0.13±0.01)-(0.29±0.06),随机方差分量比率为(0.71±0.06)-(0.87±0.01),狭义遗传力为(0.13±0.01)-(0.29±0.06),广义遗传力为(0.15±0.01)-(0.54±0.06),以上遗传参数均达极显著性水平(P＜0.01).综合比较3个性状在不同时期的遗传效应,结果发现,F0990、F1005、KS和F0719这4个群体亲本都为极显著正向效应,F0751、F0768、F0780、F09121、F0927和RS这6个群体亲本都为极显著负向效应(P＜0.01),其余的亲本均为一般效应.表型相关系数在0.82-0.96之间,遗传相关系数在0.72-0.97之间.利用BLUP方法对380日龄测量的数据进行育种值估算,结果发现,亲鱼体重育种值为14.63-100.05,其中,体重育种值最高的亲鱼个体为F1005-8、F09119-11、F09125-4、F0915-57、F09104-12、F1264、F0908-38、F0927-20、F1005-53、F0990-6、F09125-7、F0751-14和F1005-42.家系平均体重育种值为20.87-35.60,其中,平均体重育种值最高的家系为F1416、F1428、F1442、F1418、F1427、F1408、F1402、F1412和F1446.以体重育种值为依据选留的家系育种值与根据表型值选留的家系育种值比较可得:体重育种值选择比其表型值的选择效率高81.91％,育种值选育更好.本研究为牙鲆优良家系的建立及新品种的培育筛选出了性状优良的亲本和家系,同时为牙鲆育种计划的制定提供了重要理论依据.     

虾夷扇贝家系早中期生长性状比较与遗传参数估计

为获得虾夷扇贝快速生长家系及早中期生长性状遗传参数,以2011年培育的虾夷扇贝F28个半同胞和16个全同胞家系为实验材料,在其7~13月龄期间,测量其各生长性状,进行各生长性状变异分析、各生长性状多重比较分析,估计虾夷扇贝早中期各性状的遗传力和重复力,并对壳高、壳长、壳宽与活体质量各性状进行表型相关性和遗传相关性分析。结果表明,虾夷扇贝早中期生长性状中活体质量的变异系数最大,为37.40%~69.81%;壳高的变异系数最小,为12.74%~22.77%,表明虾夷扇贝各生长性状均有较大的选育空间。研究获得壳高、壳长、壳宽和活体质量快速生长家系Py11-02、Py11-03和Py11-15号家系。虾夷扇贝壳高、壳长、壳宽和活体质量的遗传力分别为0.220~0.586、0.151~0.511、0.200~0.742、0.219~0.617,为中高等遗传力;重复力分别为0.11~0.29、0.08~0.25、0.10~0.36、0.11~0.30,为中低等重复力;壳高、壳长、壳宽与活体质量间的表型相关分别为0.926~0.935、0.929~0.943、0.692~0.937,均达到极显著水平(P0.01);遗传相关分别为0.908~0.984、0.921~0.975、0.946~0.981,均表现出高度遗传相关。研究为虾夷扇贝良种培育提供一定的理论依据。     

大菱鲆25日龄3个经济性状的遗传参数评估

为估计我国引进大菱鲆群体的遗传学参数,2006年从多个大菱鲆养殖场采集源于不同国家和地区、不同进口批次的大菱鲆亲鱼,利用人工授精技术构建了66个全同胞家系,包括26个父系半同胞家系组。选用混合模型方程,通过约束最大似然法进行了方差、协方差、遗传力和遗传相关等估计。结果表明,大菱鲆25d仔鱼体长、存活率和白化率的遗传力分别为0.20、0.07和0.22;3个性状间呈负遗传相关关系,检验不显著。研究结果表明,大菱鲆体长和白化率是中度遗传力,选择育种潜力较大;3个性状任何性状的选择对其他两个性状的影响很小,利用一个性状对另一个性状的间接选择是不可行的。     

Estimates of heritabilities and genetic correlations for growth and gonad traits in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius

The present study is the first estimate for the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus intermedius, of genetic parameters for growth and gonad traits during the entire reproductive period. 2165–5764 sea urchins were sampled from 74 to 120 families at six different growth stages. Six hundred individuals were sampled from 20 randomly chosen families at harvest. Coefficients of variation for most growth and gonad traits were high (18.08–78.66%) suggesting a good variation foundation for breeding. Point estimate for heritabilities based on the sire components of variance were moderate to high for test height (0.24–0.39), test diameter (0.21–0.48) and body weight (0.16–0.49). Heritabilities of gonad wet weight, gonad index and gonad moisture at harvest were 0.17, 0.41 and 0.50 respectively (moderate or high). Gonad colour parameters, L^* (lightness) and a^* (redness) have a heritability of 0, while b^* (yellowness) and colour difference ΔE₁ and ΔE₂ have very similar heritabilities of 0.2, 0.18 and 0.21 respectively. Heritabilities of β‐carotene concentration and content were 0.89 and 0.44 respectively. The genetic correlations between the two measured traits ranged from ?0.984 to 0.999. Gonad wet weight, L^*, b^*, β‐carotene concentration and β‐carotene content had significant positive genetic correlations with all the growth traits. However, gonad index, gonad moisture and colour differences ΔE₁ and ΔE₂ had significant negative genetic correlations with growth traits. The present study indicates that growth, gonad yield and most gonad quality traits could be improved by selection with moderate to high potential. Indirect selection should be applied on gonad traits using growth traits as secondary traits. The present study provides important theoretical guidance for future selective breeding programmes for S. intermedius.     

刺参(Apostichopus japonicus) 9月龄主要经济性状遗传力的估计

本研究基于全同胞组内相关法对9月龄刺参(Apostichopus japonicus)苗种体长、体重、肉刺总数3个性状的遗传力进行了评估.以前期收集、保存的刺参群体为亲本,选取了健康刺参29头,采用不平衡巢式设计方法及人工刺激采卵授精方法,按照1雌配2-5雄的原则,构建了6个母系半同胞家系及23个父系全同胞家系,至9月龄时,分别抽取每个家系30-50个后代测定相应个体的体长、体重及肉刺总数,应用数量遗传学分析和全同胞组内相关法估计刺参9月龄体长、体重和肉刺总数共3个生长性状的遗传力.结果显示,9月龄刺参体长雌性组分遗传力的估计值为0.87,雄性组分遗传力估计值为0.85,全同胞组分遗传力估计值为0.86;刺参体重雌性组分遗传力估计值为0.20,雄性组分遗传力估计值为0.73,全同胞组分遗传力估计值为0.46;肉刺总数雌性组分遗传力估计值为0.43,雄性组分遗传力估计值为0.32,全同胞组分遗传力估计值为0.37.t检验表明,体长、体重的雄性组分遗传力达到显著水平(P＜0.05),全同胞组分遗传力均达到极显著水平(P＜0.01),肉刺总数的遗传力均未达到显著水平.     

三角帆蚌紫色选育系1龄阶段内壳色及生长性状的遗传参数估计

采用群体选育辅助种内群体间杂交选育的方法,以内壳色、体质量作为选育性状,经过连续4代的选育获得了紫色选育系F4。本实验以F4为亲本进行繁殖,利用6对微卫星标记,对15个同批繁育的F4母蚌的1龄后代进行亲子鉴定,鉴别出了来自12个父本、15个母本的42个全同胞家系,使用ASREML软件的约束极大似然法对三角帆蚌内壳色及生长性状进行了遗传参数分析。结果显示,内壳色颜色参数L*、a*、b*、dE*的遗传力分别为0.31±0.22、0.11±0.08、0.36±0.18、0.29±0.19,L*、a*、b*之间的遗传相关和表型相关均较低,范围为0.08~0.47和0.04~0.32,L*与dE*相关性最大,遗传相关为-0.94±0.06,表型相关为-0.96±0.01;生长性状壳长、壳高、壳宽、体质量和壳重的遗传力分别为0.24±0.19、0.37±0.27、0.26±0.16、0.26±0.17、0.31±0.19,各性状间遗传相关和表型相关均为正相关,分别为0.71~0.92、0.66~0.94;颜色参数与生长性状的遗传相关和表型相关均很低,为0.02~0.18。三角帆蚌紫色选育系1龄阶段内壳色和生长性状的遗传力多为中高水平,对其继续进行遗传改良预期能够获得良好遗传进展。内壳色与生长性状的相关度很低,无法实现相互选择,体质量与其他生长性状相关均较紧密,表明将内壳色、体质量作为目标性状进行同步选育的方法合理,可实现同时改良壳色及生长性能的目的。     

Response to selection for harvest body weight of Oreochromis shiranus

Realised and predicted responses to selection were obtained for harvest body weight of Oreochromis shiranus from two generations of selection at the National Aquaculture Centre, Domasi, Malawi. The realised response was estimated from the difference in the least squares means of selected and unselected control populations, while the predicted response was obtained from the difference of the mean breeding values between generations. The realised (13.2%) and predicted (14.4%) responses for harvest body weight over the two generations of selection were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The intensity of selection from F₁ to F₂ (0.66) and from F₂ to F₃ (0.59) was low due to availability of few selection candidates per family at harvest caused by mortality, tag loss and the need to form broad heterogeneous multi-strain F₂ and F₃ populations. Within generation, the heritability estimates for the F₁ (0.31 ± 0.09), F₂ (0.31 ± 0.10) and F₃ (0.35 ± 0.11) generations were moderate. Across generation, the heritability estimate was low (0.14 ± 0.27). Within generation, the magnitude of the common full-sib effect was moderate (0.08-0.09) and not significantly different from zero (P > 0.05). However, across generations, the common full-sib effect was high (0.27 ±0.05) and significantly different from zero (P < 0.05). A substantial correlated selection response due to selection for increased harvest body weight was observed for both tagging body weight and for survival from tagging to harvest; for tagging body weight 22.8% from F₁ to F₂ and 15.9% from F₂ to F₃; for survival 7.2% from F₁ to F₂ and 13.8% from F₂ to F₃. The results are discussed in relation to the maximisation of the genetic gain in the future generations while constraining the rate of inbreeding.     

Heritability for body weight at harvest size in the Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei, from a multi-environment experiment using univariate and multivariate animal models

To estimate family BLUP breeding values and the heritability of body weight at harvest size (BW) in the Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei, an experiment was conduced using information from two farm units of a Mexican hatchery and two shrimp population densities at each location. Data consisted of 12,658 shrimps that were siblings from 48 sires and 77 dams with a nested dam-sire structure. Shrimps were individually weighed at an average age of 130 days post-hatching. BW phenotypic mean (S.D.) was 18.2 (2.4) g, with values ranging from 8.4 to 30.0 g. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate models that considered BW within location by density pond environment as a different trait and included or not a common full-sib effect (c). The multivariate animal model included fixed effects of days from hatching and sex. For univariate models that included c effects, BW heritability (S.E.) estimates ranged from 0.24 (0.14) to 0.35 (0.18) across environments (heritability was zero in one environment). For multivariate models (excluding the environment with zero heritability) the heritabilities increased and ranged from 0.37 (0.06) to 0.45 (0.09). Standard errors of heritabilities and c effects were both drastically reduced in the multivariate analysis. Pairwise genetic correlations between environments were from 0.80 (0.08) to 0.86 (0.04). These differences may be indicative of genotype-environment interaction for BW at 130 days post-hatching. Statistical problems found to separate c from additive genetic effects both in univariate models were reduced using multivariate models. Correlation between family raw phenotypic means and family BV means from the multivariate analysis was 0.93 indicating a rather low risk of miss selecting superior families if BLUP solutions were neglected using replicated environment data. It is also concluded that use of incorrect statistical models or unreplicated data may lead to biased or inaccurate estimates of genetic parameters in shrimp breeding programs.     

Inbreeding Effects on Hatchery and Growout Performance of Pacific White Shrimp, Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei

In animal breeding programs, selection coupled with a narrow genetic base can cause high levels of inbreeding to occur rapidly (in one or two generations). Although the effects of inbreeding have been studied extensively in terrestrial animals and to a lesser extent in aquaculture species, little is known about the effects of inbreeding on penaeid shrimp. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of inbreeding on hatchery and growout performance of the Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei. The experiment was conducted over 2 yr, and data from two successive generations (G₂ and G₃) of inbred (sibling–sibling mating) and outbred families were analyzed. There were 11 inbred and 12 outbred families in G₂ and 9 inbred and 10 outbred families in G₃. Inbreeding coefficients (F) for outbred and inbred families were 0.00 and 0.25, respectively, for G₂ and 0.00 and 0.375, respectively, for G₃. Growth rates for outbreds and inbreds were similar in both G₂ and G₃. Hatch rate for inbred families was 33.1% lower than for outbred families in G₂ and 47.1% lower in G₃. Inbreeding depression (IBD) (relative change in phenotype per 0.1 increase in F) ± 95% CI for hatch rate was ?12.3 ± 10.1%. Hatchery survival for inbred families was 31.4% lower than for outbred families in G₂ and 38.8% lower in G₃. IBD for hatchery survival was ?11.0 ± 5.7%. Growout survival was 1.9% lower for inbred families than for outbred families in G₂ and 19.6% lower in G₃. IBD for growout survival was ?3.8 ± 2.9%. There was also a significant linear relationship between IBD estimates for survival traits and mean outbred survival. At high outbred survival, IBD was low (e.g., growout survival in G₂), but IBD appeared to become more severe when outbred survival was lower. This suggests that stress (related to environment and/or life stage) may worsen IBD for survival traits. Results also indicate that moderate to high levels of inbreeding (>10%) should be avoided in commercial shrimp hatcheries because the cumulative effect of IBD on hatch rate and hatchery survival will significantly reduce postlarvae production. Thus, IBD can be significant enough to justify the use of inbreeding as a germplasm protection strategy (under certain scenarios) for genetic improvement programs.     

中国对虾3种育种模式的BLUP遗传评定分析

设计了3种育种模式,精细育种模式(A)、全同胞育种模式(B)和群组育种模式(C),分别利用不同的系谱信息(所有系谱、全同胞、群组),考虑不同的遗传力水平,在家系和个体水平上进行选择效果的对比分析。采用单性状动物模型,考虑各家系标记时的平均体重为协变量,通过BLUP法估计个体体重育种值。家系选择水平上的结果表明,利用全同胞育种模式选取的家系(50%的淘汰率)与精细育种模式相比,一致率在90%以上,估计的家系育种值与精细育种模式间的相关系数在0.9以上,相关程度高。在个体选择水平上,全同胞育种模式与精细育种模式间存在着较大差距。以10%的留种率为标准,前者留取的个体与后者的一致率在68.61%～83.21%。全同胞育种模式估计的个体育种值与精细育种模式间的相关系数在0.770～0.935之间,低于家系选择水平的相关程度。群组水平上的比较分析表明,利用群组育种模式选取的群组(50%的淘汰率)与精细育种模式相比,除C5为90.91%外,其余模式一致率均为100%。群组育种模式估计的育种值与精细育种模式间的相关系数在0.98以上,相关程度高。这说明通过群组育种模式选取的群组,准确可信度高。与精细育种模式相比较,在个体水平上群组育种模式估计的个体育种值和其排队顺序是存在较大差别的。以10%的留种率为标准,群组育种模式与精细育种模式相同留种个体的百分比在57.66%～85.40%。群组育种模式估计的个体育种值与精细育种模式间的相关系数在0.772～0.941之间。相对于精细育种模式,采用群组育种模式进行个体选择的可信度要低一些。     

A novel breeding design to produce genetically protected homogenous fish populations for on‐growing

We present a novel KING breeding design to produce genetically protected homogeneous fish material for commercial producers from a breeding nucleus. KING F2‐production population is established from the nucleus, first through full‐sib mating within two unrelated high‐quality families to produce inbred F1‐progeny and then resolving the inbreeding in F2 through mating of the unrelated F1‐individuals. Owing to a small number of founders and the inbred F1‐parents, the remaining additive genetic variance is 37.5% of the original. This restricts the use of F2‐progeny to establish new breeding programmes, thereby protecting the genetic material of the nucleus. The theoretical calculations show that a concomitant decrease of phenotypic variance is possible. However, the reduction is considerable only for traits with high heritability (h² > 0.50). The method was tested with rainbow trout. The results revealed that the mean body weight of the KING‐progeny was similar, but, surprisingly, phenotypic variation (especially due to residual variance) was higher compared with either their outbred control group or the nucleus breeding population. Although further evaluation of this breeding design is needed, the results suggest that while genetic protection is achieved, the efficiency of the method to reduce phenotypic variation is limited for economically important traits with low‐to‐moderate heritability.     

草鱼幼鱼生长性状和肌肉成分的遗传参数估计

为了研究草鱼幼鱼阶段生长性状和肌肉成分的遗传改良潜力。随机采集288尾人工繁育的4月龄草鱼幼鱼,基于12对微卫星标记,鉴定出来自16个家系（8个母本,9个父本）的273尾个体,各家系、母本和父本对应子代贡献率存在极显著差异（P<0.01）。对草鱼3个生长性状（体质量、体长和肥满度）和2个肌肉成分指标（粗蛋白含量和粗脂肪含量）比较发现,3个生长性状和粗蛋白含量在家系和母系半同胞间存在显著差异（P<0.05）,而3个生长性状和2个肌肉成分指标在父系半同胞间差异均不显著（P>0.05）。基于动物模型和限制性最大似然法,草鱼4月龄体质量、体长、肥满度、粗蛋白含量和粗脂肪含量的遗传力估值分别为0.34、0.33、0.17、0.17和0.20,其中3个生长性状遗传力估值统计检验显著（P<0.05）。遗传相关分析显示,体质量与体长之间呈极显著的高度正相关（0.82, P<0.01）,肥满度与体质量和2个肌肉成分之间存在显著的正相关（0.17-0.29, P<0.05）。研究表明,草鱼4月龄生长性状具有较高的选育潜力,并可通过体长选择实现对体质量的遗传改良;推测在草鱼生长改良过程中,可能会伴随肥满度和粗脂肪含量的变化,这应当引起重视。     

Effects of the individual rearing stage on the growth traits of candidate giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)

In most breeding programs of Macrobrachium rosenbergii, the candidate parents will go through an overwintering period of individual rearing stage (IRS) after the communal rearing stage (CRS). To study whether environmental differences affect the growth traits of candidate parents, the heritability (h²) and genotype by environment (G?×?E) interaction were estimated for harvest body weight (HBW) and average daily weight gain (ADG) in CRS and IRS. The HBWs and ADGs of 3,242 candidate parents from 111 families were recorded at the two stages. The h² estimated for the HBW and ADG in the CRS were medium to high (0.333?±?0.205 and 0.284?±?0.173) and decreased to a medium magnitude in the IRS (0.158?±?0.032 and 0.171?±?0.034). The heritabilities for HBW and ADG were higher in females than that of males in CRS, but the situation reversed in IRS. No significant differences were found in heritabilities of HBW and ADG between males and females in the two stages (P?>?0.05). For HBW, the genetic correlations between the two stages were 0.32?±?0.18 for all candidates, 0.98?±?0.021 for females and 0.073?±?0.24 for males. For ADG, the genetic correlations between the two stages were???0.37?±?0.16 for all candidates,???0.079?±?0.20 for females and???0.51?±?0.18 for males. The IRS had an obvious influence on the growth traits of candidates, especially for males. To select parents more accurately, growth in the IRS should also be taken into consideration in parent selection and mating schemes in breeding programs of M. rosenbergii.

     

Genetic Effects and Estimates for the Heritability of Size in Fingerling Hybrid Striped Bass Reared Indoors

Hybrid striped bass fingerlings were grown in replicated indoor tanks for 42 days to evaluate progeny performance of two growth-related traits. Analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences in length and weight of fingerlings among paternal and maternal half-sib families and high estimates of heritability for dams and sires. Based on significant sire and dam effects and high heritabilities, a substantial portion of the selection differential could be expected to be gained in offspring from selected pure-line parents. As demonstrated by these results, a breeding program could be used to select parental lines that produce faster growing hybrid offspring.     

Quantitative genetic properties of four measures of deformity in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833

The main aim of this study was to estimate the heritability for four measures of deformity and their genetic associations with growth (body weight and length), carcass (fillet weight and yield) and flesh‐quality (fillet fat content) traits in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi. The observed major deformities included lower jaw, nasal erosion, deformed operculum and skinny fish on 480 individuals from 22 families at Clean Seas Tuna Ltd. They were typically recorded as binary traits (presence or absence) and were analysed separately by both threshold generalized models and standard animal mixed models. Consistency of the models was evaluated by calculating simple Pearson correlation of breeding values of full‐sib families for jaw deformity. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among traits were estimated using a multitrait linear mixed model in ASReml. Both threshold and linear mixed model analysis showed that there is additive genetic variation in the four measures of deformity, with the estimates of heritability obtained from the former (threshold) models on liability scale ranging from 0.14 to 0.66 (SE 0.32–0.56) and from the latter (linear animal and sire) models on original (observed) scale, 0.01–0.23 (SE 0.03–0.16). When the estimates on the underlying liability were transformed to the observed scale (0, 1), they were generally consistent between threshold and linear mixed models. Phenotypic correlations among deformity traits were weak (close to zero). The genetic correlations among deformity traits were not significantly different from zero. Body weight and fillet carcass showed significant positive genetic correlations with jaw deformity (0.75 and 0.95, respectively). Genetic correlation between body weight and operculum was negative (?0.51, P < 0.05). The genetic correlations' estimates of body and carcass traits with other deformity were not significant due to their relatively high standard errors. Our results showed that there are prospects for genetic selection to improve deformity in yellowtail kingfish and that measures of deformity should be included in the recording scheme, breeding objectives and selection index in practical selective breeding programmes due to the antagonistic genetic correlations of deformed jaws with body and carcass performance.     

Quantitative genetic parameter estimates for size and growth rate traits in Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei (Boone 1931) when reared indoors

Heritabilities of size traits and growth rate traits, as well as genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlations were estimated at three ages for a captive population of Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) grown indoors. A covariate, mean size or mean growth rate during early growth in individual tanks before tagging and mixing, was introduced in the analyses to reduce the error caused by unique previous growth conditions on variance components. Heritabilities of size traits increased with age, with the h² for TL, AL, TWt and Wi1AS being 0.15, 0.20, 0.20 and 0.22, respectively, at 17 weeks, increasing to 0.28, 0.33, 0.34 and 0.35 at 29 weeks of age. Heritabilities of growth rate traits estimated between consecutive growth periods decreased from the first (h² for ΔTL 0.65, ΔAL 0.71, ΔTWt 0.63 and ΔWi1AS 0.84) to the second period (h² for ΔTL 0.34, ΔAL 0.50, ΔTWt 0.54 and ΔWi1AS 0.52). Phenotypic correlations were always larger than genetic correlations for both, size and growth rate traits. Genetic correlations between size traits within age were high (r_G >0.95), but those between the same size trait at different ages decreased as the age difference increased in spite of a consistently high environmental correlation (r_E 0.80–0.85) between the same trait at different ages. Phenotypic and genetic correlation's between the same growth rate trait at the two different growth periods evaluated were negative or zero (r_G TL –0.26, AL –0.24, Wi1AS 0.00) with the exception of total weight (r_G TW 0.35) and the environmental correlations between growth periods were also low (r_E 0.13–0.32).