Selection experiments with salmon: IV. Growth of Atlantic salmon during two years in the sea

Abstract

Brood stock of Atlantic salmon were sampled from 37 rivers or riversystems (strains) for three consecutive years. Each strain was represented by several full- and half-sib families. During the freshwater period each full-sib family was reared separately and each group was given as equal environmental conditions as possible. Fingerlings large enough to become 1-year-old smolt were freeze-branded and smolts from the different strains were sampled and transported to five salmon farms along the Norwegian coast. This paper deals with body weight and length of Atlantic salmon after a growth period of 2 years in the sea. Significant differences between strains were found for all three year classes. The interaction farm × strain was significant but accounted for only a small part of the total variation. It is concluded that genotype × environment interaction can be ignored when planning a selection programme for Altantic salmon for Norwegian farming conditions. A significant interaction sire × dam was found for the 1972 year-class, implying the presence of non-additive genetic variation. The heritabilities for body weight and length estimated from sire components (year-class 1973 and 1974) were quite high: 0.31 and 0.28, respectively. Genetic correlations between body weight and length were close to unity. The heritabilities for condition factor ( K= weight in g (length in cm) 3 ·100 were small and none of the sire components were significant. It is concluded that the combination of weight and length used in calculating the K-factor has minor genetic basis. Genetic variation in body weight of Atlantic salmon is high, and about three times as high as for body length.