Estimation of heritabilities for growth, body size, and processing traits in red swamp crawfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard)

Abstract

Third-instar red swamp crawfish, Procambarus clarkii, from full-sib families and half-sib families were stocked into separate 2.4-m-diameter fiberglass pools planted with rice ( Oryza sativa). Crawfish were harvested after 150 days and measured for total length, total weight, carapace width, carapace length, abdomen width, abdomen depth, chela width, chela lenghth, abdomen meat weight and dressout percentage. Body size traits were adjusted for total length to provide heritability estimates of relative size of various body parts. Heritabilities were estimated for all animals combined and for reproductively mature (Form I) males, immature (Form II and juvenile) males, and females separately. Sire estimates of heritability ranged from 0 to 0.38. All traits show potential for at least moderate improvement through selection, although non-additive sources of variation were found to influence all traits measured.