Estimation of genetic parameters for female reproduction traits in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas

Abstract

The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is one of the most important aquaculture species worldwide. Female reproduction traits are considered as the major factor for production efficiency. Estimating genetic parameters for female reproduction is a common method for formulating breeding program, which has not been evaluated in the Pacific oysters. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the genetic parameters for female reproduction traits in Pacific oysters. Genetic parameters were performed on 44 full-sib Pacific oyster families, including 646 individuals from three cultured populations (“Haida No. 1” strain, South Korean population, and Japanese population) and a wild population. The heritability of female reproduction traits including relative brood amount and egg diameter ranged from 0.32 to 0.38, while the heritability of growth traits were in the range of 0.13–0.37, suggesting that both traits may benefit from successive selection breeding. The genetic and phenotypic correlations between female reproduction and growth traits were low at −0.44 to 0.33, indicating that these traits were relatively independent traits that could be improved respectively. The four populations showed significant growth differences, whereas no significant difference was observed in female reproduction traits. This study represents the first report of genetic parameters for female reproduction in Pacific oysters, which suggests that these traits may be improved through selection breeding.