Abstract
BackgroundBanana shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis has emerged as an important aquacultured shrimp species in South East Asia and Australia. However, the quantitative genetic basis of economically important traits in this species are currently not available, while for body colour, cooked or uncooked, there are no genetic parameter estimates for any shrimp or indeed any decapod crustacean. In this study, we report for banana shrimp genetic parameters for morphometric traits and, the first time for any shrimp, parameter estimates for body colour. Ten highly polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed from genomic sequences and used to construct a pedigree for 2000 offspring from approximately 60 female and 60 male parents that were sampled from a single routine commercial production pond.ResultsRestricted maximum likelihood method applied to a single trait mixed model was used to estimate heritabilities, while correlations were estimated using the multi-trait approach. The estimates of heritability for morphometric traits were moderate to high (h2 = 0.14 – 0.50). Body colour of uncooked shrimp showed a heritable additive genetic component (h2 = 0.03 – 0.55), and those estimates obtained for cooked shrimp were significantly different from zero. Genetic correlations among morphometric traits were all positive and very high (close to unity, rg = 0.85 – 0.99). The genetic correlations of body traits (weight, length and width) were positive with both colour after cooking (0.74 – 0.84) and body colour measured on live shrimp (0.59 to 0.70). The positive genetic correlations between the cooked body colour and uncooked body colour (0.64 ± 0.20) suggests these two traits can be simultaneously improved in practical selective breeding programs. This first ever report of genetic parameters for cooked or uncooked colour in crustacean indicates there is potential for genetic improvement of both growth and body colour through selection.ConclusionsIn the present study we demonstrated for banana shrimp that genetic parameters can be estimated from commercial samples (using pedigrees based on DNA markers), that selection for shrimp colour should be successful under such commercial conditions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-014-0132-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
IntroductionBanana shrimp are readily bred in captivity without artificial insemination (AI) and so are agreeable candidates for selection
Banana shrimp Fenneropenaeus merguiensis has emerged as an important aquacultured shrimp species in South East Asia and Australia
Time, operator and sex effect The effect of sampling location in the site locations around the same pond was highly significant (P < 0.001) for all traits studied, including body colour of both raw and cooked shrimp (Figures 2 and 3). This was in part due to the very large size of grow-out pond, environmental differences between sampling locations were possible even likely, and shrimp may have schooled according to size
Summary
Banana shrimp are readily bred in captivity without artificial insemination (AI) and so are agreeable candidates for selection This contrasts the situation for black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon), currently the dominant aquacultured shrimp species in Australia, where breeding pond reared animals is problematic and AI is required to construct even limited pedigrees [2]. Genetic variation in body colour within shrimp species, strains or lines is not known, and genetic relationships of body colour with morphometric traits have not been estimated in all crustaceans. It is unknown whether there is genetic variance in banana shrimp for colour or redness, and so whether it would be possible to select on this trait. It is unknown whether selection for colour would have adverse effects on other commercial traits such as body weight and length
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