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High mortality during grow out in the sea is a challenge for farmed Atlantic salmon production in Norway and globally, which is partly attributed to suboptimal smolt quality. In this study, two groups of pre-smolts were put on a standard light smoltification regime with alternating 12L:12D per day for 6 weeks (Phase I), followed by 24L:0D per day for 6 weeks (Phase II); one group was 0 + smolt (EXP1) and the other 1 + smolt (EXP2). To monitor the smoltification status of the fish, 100 (EXP1) and 60 (EXP2) fish were randomly sampled per week during Phase II. The following phenotypes for smoltification status were studied: RT-qPCR relative mRNA expression of values of two alpha catalytic subunits of the variants of the Na+K+ATPase (NKA) expressed in the sampled gill tissues of each fish. The first variant, alpha1a with increased expression in freshwater (FW) and the second variant alpha1b with increased expression in seawater variant (SW), as well as their ratio SW/FW. At the optimal time for seawater transfer based on the SW/FW trait, 1,000 (at sixth sampling of EXP1) and 1,500 (at fifth sampling of EXP2) fish were sampled for genetic parameter estimation. The individual variation in FW, SW, and SW/FW was very large at each of the seven samplings indicating a large variation among individuals in the optimum time of transfer to seawater. SW/FW showed significant genetic variation in both 0+ and 1+ smolts, which indicates the possibility for selection for improved synchronization of smoltification status of Atlantic salmon at the time where the largest proportion of the fish is considered to be smolt. However, the genetic correlation between SW/FW of 0+ and 1+ was not significantly different from zero indicating very little shared genetic variation in SW/FW in 0+ and 1+ fish. Smoltification phenotypes showed temporal progression over the smoltification period, and this progression varied between 0+ and 1+ smolt highlighting the importance of correctly timing the major sampling point, and when cohorts are transferred to seawater. This also highlighted the need for further research into noninvasive methods of objectively measuring individual smoltification through time and subsequent smolt survival and growth rate at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic and genetic parameters were estimated for three body traits (harvest weight, carapace length and standard length) and for adult male morphotypes of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii in a fully pedigreed synthetic population in India. The data set included 9,173 progeny produced over four generations from 162 sires and 234 dams. Variance components and genetic parameters were estimated fitting an animal model using the residual maximum-likelihood methodology. The heritabilities for harvest body weight (HW), carapace length (CL) and standard length (SL) were moderate (0.22 ± 0.056, 0.22 ± 0.055 and 0.25 ± 0.059 respectively). The common environmental effects for HW, CL and SL were 0.10 ± 0.020, 0.08 ± 0.018 and 0.10 ± 0.021 respectively. As M. rosenbergii is sexually dimorphic, we estimated heritabilities within each sex. Heritability of HW in females (0.27 ± 0.068) was greater than that in males (0.15 ± 0.057). CL and SL followed the same pattern. The occurrence of male morphotypes is a unique characteristic of adult populations of M. rosenbergii. Populations from culture ponds exhibit a wide range of sizes. To examine whether there was a heritable component in male morphotype frequencies, we treated male morphotypes as traits. The additive genetic variance (and hence the heritability) was zero for male morphotype, indicating that selective breeding to increase the proportion of desirable male morphotypes would not be effective. The genetic correlations among body traits were all positive, high and approaching unity. The results are discussed in relation to selection plans for the giant freshwater prawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of this study were the estimation of genetic parameters for survival rate from tagging until harvest and the evaluation of the correlated response in survival rate to selection for harvest weight in the genetically improved farmed tilapia ( GIFT) strain. The heritability for survival rate was low (0.038), and so was its genetic correlation with harvest weight (0.065), suggesting that selecting for the latter trait would have had no effect on survival. The calculation of the probability of survival by spawning season and line, fitting a model that included the random effects of individual animal and common environment, confirmed this prediction. There were very small and variable between line differences in the probability of survival, which generally favoured the selection line. We conclude that the focus of the GIFT programme on improving harvest weight was not detrimental to the survival of the fish during the grow-out phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flesh characteristics comprising chemical composition (protein, fat and moisture percentages and pH) as well as a sensory attribute (colour) were measured in 1951 fillet samples from two generations of two populations (a selection line, selected for increased harvest weight, and a control line, selected for average breeding values for harvest weight) of the genetically improved farmed tilapia ( GIFT) strain of Nile tilapia. These data were jointly analysed with 5331 harvest weight records from three generations to estimate genetic parameters and correlated selection responses. Multiple trait animal models were used in the analyses. The potential for correlated responses was evaluated by estimating heritabilities and genetic correlations between body traits (weight, length, depth and width) and fillet traits (weight and yield) with the above mentioned flesh characteristics. The heritabilities for protein%, fat% and colour were low (0.06-0.11), whereas for moisture% and pH they were moderate (0.15-0.20). Genetic correlations among some flesh characteristics (moisture% with protein%, fat% and pH and with fat%) as well as between body and fillet traits with flesh characteristics, were significantly different from zero but low (−0.34 to 0.31). Correlated responses were evaluated by comparing the least squares means between the Selection and Control lines. Our results indicate that selection for high growth increased harvest weight in the Selection line relative to the Control line but it did not change the flesh characteristics of the GIFT strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of selection for greater growth rate in the GIFT strain on traits related to female reproduction (weight at spawning, number of eggs, number of fry, total weight of fry and number of dead fry) was studied. Available records comprised 10 generations of data from a total of 935 breeding females with known pedigree. Female body weight at spawning was 255 g, whereas the averages for number of eggs, number of live fry at hatching, number of dead fry and total fry weight per spawning were 1444, 908, 64.90, and 7.24 g respectively. Heritabilities for reproductive traits were low to moderate (0.20 for number of eggs, 0.16 for number of hatched fry and 0.11 for fry weight per female at spawning). The genetic correlations between female body weight at spawning and reproductive traits were very low to low (0.01 to 0.31) and not significantly different from zero. The genetic correlations among reproductive traits (i.e. number of eggs, number of hatched fry and fry weight) were high (0.75 to 0.92). Phenotypic correlations were consistent with the genetic correlations, ranging from 0.56 to 0.85. Correlated responses in reproductive traits measured as differences in least squares means between Selection and Control lines were positive and significant (except for the number of dead fry) when age of females at spawning was fitted as a covariate. However, there were no significant differences in all studied traits when body weight of the female at spawning was fitted as a covariate within lines. This indicates that the greater reproductive rate was due to the greater size of females in the Selection line, but the efficiency of reproduction per unit weight of female did not change as a consequence of selection for growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Selection for harvest weight was performed in a fully pedigreed synthetic line of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Egypt for two generations. Records were available over three spawning seasons (2002, 2003 and 2004) for weight at the beginning of communal rearing (initial weight), harvest weight and survival rate. The dataset consisted of 9267 progeny records from 214 sires and 323 dams. Phenotypic and genetic parameters, as well as response to selection, were estimated fitting an animal model as well as a sire and dam model to the data. Initial and harvest weight were transformed to log10 for analysis. The heritabilities (s.e.) from the animal model for initial weight, harvest weight and survival were 0.106 (0.0576), 0.144 (0.0598) and 0.120 (0.0346), respectively, whereas the corresponding maternal and common environmental effects, c 2, were 0.652 (0.0475), 0.384 (0.0496) and 0.015 (0.0214), respectively. The genetic correlations had large standard errors, but they were in a favorable direction, especially between harvest weight and survival [0.458 (0.2035)]. Response to selection was estimated in two different ways: (i) from the difference in average breeding values between generations, and (ii) from the difference in breeding value between the selection and the control lines. Using the former method the responses in harvest weight were 6.64 and 6.96%, comparing the progeny of the 2002 with 2003, and 2003 with 2004 spawnings, respectively, giving a cumulative response of about 14% in two generations. With the second method, the difference between the control and selection line in 2004 was 3.82%. The results are discussed in relation to other selection work conducted with tilapia, and the future direction of the genetic improvement program is outlined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]