ZResponse to selection, heritability and genetic correlations between body weight and body size in Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

To quantify the response to selection,heritability and genetic correlations between weight and size of Litopenaeus vannamei,the body weight (BW),total length (TL),body length (BL),first abdominal segment depth (FASD),third abdominal segment depth (TASD),first abdominal segment width (FASW),and partial carapace length (PCL) of 5-month-old parents and of offspring were measured by calculating seven body measurings of offspring produced by a nested mating design.Seventeen half-sib families and 42 full-sib families ofL.vannamei were produced using artificial fertilization from 2-4 dams by each sire,and measured at around five months post-metamorphosis.The results show that heritabilities among various traits were high:0.515士0.030 for body weight and 0.394士0.030 for total length.After one generation of selection,the selection response was 10.70% for offspring growth.In the 5"’ month,the realized heritability for weight was 0.296 for the offspring generation.Genetic correlations between body weight and body size were highly variable.The results indicate that external morphological parameters can be applied during breeder selection for enhancing the growth without sacrificing animals for determining the body size and breed ability;and selective breeding can be improved significantly,simultaneously with increased production.     

Estimated reproductive success of brooders and heritability of growth traits for large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) using microsatellites

We estimated the reproductive success of adult brood fish and the heritability of growth-related traits for large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). We created two independent full-factorial cross groups (1 and 2) by crossing 4 males×4 females and 4 males×3 females, respectively. We measured the body weight (BW), body length (BL), and body height (BH) of 281 individuals from group 1 and 318 individuals from group 2 at 20 months post hatch (harvest age). We also collected a tissue sample from each individual. The parents and offspring were genotyped using six polymorphic microsatellites. Of the 599 offspring, 99.2% were assigned to a single pair of parents. In both groups, some parent pairs produced a large number of offsprings while other pairs did not produce any offspring. The genetic diversity and putative Ne were lower in the offsprings than in the parents in both groups. The heritability estimates at 20-month age were 0.13±0.10 for BW, 0.19±0.13 for BL, and 0.09±0.06 for BH. The genetic and phenotype correlation between BW, BL, and BH was close to 1. The results provide basic information for selective breeding and further genetic characterization of large yellow croaker.     

Analysis of phenotypic and genetic parameters for growthrelated traits in the half smooth tongue sole, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynoglossus semilaevis</Emphasis>

Phenotypic and genetic parameters for growth-related traits in the half-smooth tongue sole, Cynoglossus semilaevis, were estimated in 22 full-sib families produced by normal and neo-male breeding stocks. As phenotypic males with female genotypes, neo-males are harmful in C. semilaevis aquaculture because they reduce overall production. The present study evaluated the difference in the growth-related traits: total length (TL), body weight (BW) and square root of body weight (SQ_BW) at the age of 570 days between normal and neo-male offspring (neo-males used as male parents). The difference in the proportion of females between normal and neo-male offspring was also assessed. Based on the linear mixed model, restricted maximum likelihood (REML) and best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) were used to estimate various (co)variance components and estimated breeding values (EBVs) of growth-related traits. As a result, all the mean values of the three studied traits were significantly larger in normal offspring than in neo-male offspring. Additionally, the female proportion was significantly larger in normal offspring than in neo-male offspring. Heritability was 0.128±0.066 2 for TL, 0.128±0.065 5 for BW and 0.132±0.062 9 for SQ_BW, all of which were low level heritabilities. The correlation coefficients of EBVs and phenotypic values of the target traits were 0.516 for TL, 0.524 for BW and 0.506 for SQ_BW, all of which were highly significant (P <0.01). Genetic correlations among TL, BW and SQ_BW were positive high (0.921–0.969) and higher than those of phenotype (0.711–0.748), both of which had low standard errors (0.063–0.123 for genotype, and 0.010–0.018 for phenotype). Compared with normal offspring, neo-male offspring have lower breeding values for each studied trait through EBVs comparison. Therefore, neo-male offspring should not be used as broodstock in a C. semilaevis breeding programs.     

Response to selection for fast growth in the second generation of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

Mass selection for fast growth was conducted in three Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) stocks from China, Japan and Korea using previously established lines (CS1, JS1, and KS1). To determine whether continuous progress can be achieved by selection for growth, the progeny of three second-generation Pacific oyster lines was selected for shell height and evaluated via a 400-day farming experiment. When harvested at the end of the experiment, the selected crosses of CS2, JS2, and KS2 lines grew by 9.2%, 10.2% and 9.6% larger than the control crosses, respectively. During grow-out stage, the genetic gain of three selected lines was (10.2 ± 1.4)%, (10.4 ± 0.3)%, and (8.4 ± 1.6)%, respectively; and the corresponding realized heritability was 0.457 ± 0.143, 0.312 ± 0.071 and 0.332 ± 0.009, respectively. These results indicated that the selection for fast growth achieved steady progress in the second generation of oyster. Our work provides supportive evidence for the continuity of the Pacific oyster selective breeding program.     

Genetic variation assessed with microsatellites in mass selection lines of the Pacific oyster (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crassostrea gigas</Emphasis>) in China

Four successive mass selection lines of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, selected for faster growth in breeding programs in China were examined at ten polymorphic microsatellite loci to assess the level of allelic diversity and estimate the effective population size. These data were compared with those of their base population. The results showed that the genetic variation of the four generations were maintained at high levels with an average allelic richness of 18.8–20.6, and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.902–0.921. They were not reduced compared with those of their base population. Estimated effective population sizes based on temporal variances in microsatellite frequencies were smaller to that of sex ratio-corrected broodstock count estimates. Using a relatively large number of broodstock and keeping an equal sex ratio in the broodstock each generation may have contributed to retaining the original genetic diversity and maintaining relatively large effective population size. The results obtained in this study showed that the genetic variation was not affected greatly by mass selection progress and high genetic variation still existed in the mass selection lines, suggesting that there is still potential for increasing the gains in future generations of C. gigas. The present study provided important information for future genetic improvement by selective breeding, and for the design of suitable management guidelines for genetic breeding of C. gigas.     

Phenotypic correlations of somatic and gonad traits of sea urchins Glyptocidaris crenularis in two sampled periods: first insight into its breeding and aquaculture

Prior knowledge of the correlations among commercially important traits in Glyptocidaris crenularis can be used to guide development of breeding and aquaculture programs for this species. We evaluated the phenotypic correlations between somatic and gonadal traits in G. crenularis during two sample periods （October 2010 and April 2011）. The coefficients of variation （CV%） for body weight （BW）, redness （a＊）, yellowness （b＊）, gonad wet weight （GW）, and gonad index （GI） were 〉20% in both periods, while those of other traits were very low. GW was significantly correlated with somatic traits （diameter, height, and body weight） in both periods, although the correlation coefficients ranged from 0.473 to 0.636 （P〈0.01）. Gonad moisture content （GC）, a＊, and lightness （L＊） were not significantly correlated with somatic traits （P〉0.05）. The color trait b＊ was negatively correlated with somatic traits （test diameter, test height, and body weight） during the period when the gonads were well developed （April 2011, P〈0.05）. We observed little difference in the nature of the phenotypic correlations between the two sample periods. The high variation in the somatic and gonad weight traits in G. crenularis suggests there is considerable potential for selective breeding. However, our results suggest that gonad quality traits cannot be selected indirectly by selecting for body weight. Our study provides an insight into the method for improving the breeding and aquaculture of G. crenulari.     

Optimal content and ratio of lysine to arginine in the diet of Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

The optimal quantity of dietary lysine (Lys) and arginine (Arg), and the optimal ratio of dietary Lys to Arg for Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei were investigated. Coated Lys and Arg were added to a basal diet (37.99% crude protein and 7.28% crude lipid) to provide graded levels of Lys and Arg. The experimental diets contained three Lys levels (2.51%, 2.11%, and 1.70% of total diet), and three Arg levels (1.41%, 1.80%, and 2.21% of total diet) and all combinations of these levels were tested. Pacific white shrimp, with a mean weight of 3.62±0.1 g, were randomly distributed in 36 fiberglass tanks with 30 shrimp per tank and reared on the experimental diets for 50 days. After the feeding trial, the growth performance, survival, feed conversion rate (FCR), body composition and protease and lipase activities in the hepatopancreases of the experimental shrimps were determined. The results show that weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), FCR, body protein, body Lys and Arg content were significantly affected by dietary Lys and Arg (P <0.05) and improved when dietary Lys and Arg levels were 2.11% ～ 2.51% and 1.80%～2.21%, respectively. Protease and lipase activities in the hepatopancreases of the shrimps appeared higher when dietary Lys and Arg quantities were 2.11% ～2.51% and 1.80%～2.21%, although the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). Therefore, according to our results, the optimal Lys and Arg quantities in the diet of Pacific white shrimp, L. vannamei, were considered to be 2.11%–2.51% and 1.80%–2.21%, respectively, and the optimal ratio to be 1:0.88–1:1.05.     

Production of polyhydroxybutyrate by the marine photosynthetic bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum P5

The effects of different NaCl concentrations, nitrogen sources, carbon sources, and carbon to nitrogen molar ratios on biomass accumulation and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production were studied in batch cultures of the marine photosynthetic bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum P5 under aerobic-dark conditions. The results show that the accumulation of PHB in strain P5 is a growth-associated process. Strain P5 had maximum biomass and PHB accumulation at 2%-3% NaCl, suggesting that the bacterium can maintain growth and potentially produce PHB at natural seawater salinity. In the nitrogen source test, the maximum biomass accumulation (8.10±0.09 g/L) and PHB production (1.11±0.13 g/L and 14.62%±2.25% of the cell dry weight) were observed when peptone and ammonium chloride were used as the sole nitrogen source. NH 4 + -N was better for PHB production than other nitrogen sources. In the carbon source test, the maximum biomass concentration (7.65±0.05 g/L) was obtained with malic acid as the sole carbon source, whereas the maximum yield of PHB (5.03±0.18 g/L and 66.93%±1.69% of the cell dry weight) was obtained with sodium pyruvate as the sole carbon source. In the carbon to nitrogen ratios test, sodium pyruvate and ammonium chloride were selected as the carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The best carbon to nitrogen molar ratio for biomass accumulation (8.77±0.58 g/L) and PHB production (6.07±0.25 g/L and 69.25%±2.05% of the cell dry weight) was 25. The results provide valuable data on the production of PHB by R. sulfidophilum P5 and further studies are on-going for best cell growth and PHB yield.     

Effects of Trawl Selectivity and Genetic Parameters on Fish Body Length Under Long-Term Trawling

Long-term fishing pressure affects the biological characteristics of exploited fish stocks. The biological characteristics of hairtail(Trichiurus lepturus) in the East China Sea are unable to recover because of long-term trawling. Fishing induces evolutionary effects on the fish's biological characteristics. Evidence of these changes includes small size at age, a shift to earlier age structure, and early maturation. Natural and artificial selection usually affect the fish's life history. Selection can induce different chances of reproduction, and individual fish can give a different genetic contribution to the next generation. In this study, analysis of time-dependent probability of significance and test of sensitivity were used to explore the effects of fish exploitation rate, mesh size, and heritability with long-term trawling. Results showed that fishing parameters were important drivers to exploited fish population. However, genetic traits altered by fishing were slow, and the changes in biological characteristics were weaker than those caused by fishing selection. Exploitation rate and mesh size exhibited similar evolutionary trend tendency under long-term fishing. The time-dependent probability of significance trend showed a gradual growth and tended to be stable. Therefore, the direction of fishing-induced evolution and successful management of fish species require considerable attention to contribute to sustainable fisheries in China.     

Analysis of genetic diversity and differentiation of seven stocks of Litopenaeus vannamei using microsatellite markers

Seven microsatellite markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity and differentiation of seven stocks of Litopenaeus vannamei, which were introduced from Central and South America to China. All seven microsatellite loci were polymorphic, with polymorphism information content(PIC) values ranging from 0.593 to 0.952. Totally 92 alleles were identified, and the number of alleles(Na) and effective alleles(Ne) varied between 4 and 21 and 2.7 and 14.6, respectively. Observed heterozygosity(Ho) values were lower than the expected heterozygosity(He) values(0.526–0.754), which indicated that the seven stocks possessed a rich genetic diversity. Thirty-seven tests were detected for reasonable significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Fis values were positive at five loci, suggesting that there was a relatively high degree of inbreeding within stocks. Pairwise Fst values ranged from 0.0225 to 0.151, and most of the stock pairs were moderately differentiated. Genetic distance and cluster analysis using UPGMA revealed a close genetic relationship of L. vannamei between Pop2 and Pop3. AMOVA indicated that the genetic variation among stocks(11.3%) was much lower than that within stocks(88.7%). Although the seven stocks had a certain degree of genetic differentiation and a rich genetic diversity, there is an increasing risk of decreased performance due to inbreeding in subsequent generations.     

Phenotypic plasticity of floral traits and pollination adaption in an alpine plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pedicularis siphonantha</Emphasis> D. Don when transplanted from higher to lower elevation in Eastern Himalaya

Phenotypic plasticity and/or pollinator-mediated selection may be responsible for the changes in floral traits of plants when they are forced to live in new conditions. Although the two events could be independent, we hypothesized that phenotypic plasticity in floral traits might help to coordinate plant-pollinator interactions and enhance plant reproductive success in changing habitats. To test this hypothesis, we investigated floral traits and pollination on three natural populations of a lousewort (Pedicularis siphonantha) ranging at different elevations, as well as two downward transplanted populations in Shangeri-La County and Deqin County, northwest Yunnan, China. The results indicated that floral traits, i.e. phenology, longevity, display size, corolla tube length and pollen production differed significantly among populations. Moreover, or the two transplanted populations, floral traits diverged from their original populations, but converged to their host populations. Although the phenotypic plasticity in floral traits might be a rapid response to abiotic factor such as warmer environment, the changes in floral traits were found to be well adapted to pollination environment of the host population. Compared with plants of their original habitats in higher elevation, the transplanted individuals advanced flowering time, shortened flower longevity, reduced floral display size and pollen production, received higher visiting frequency and yielded more seeds. These findings suggested that phenotypic plasticity of floral traits might help plants adjust their resource allocation strategy between preand post-pollination stages in response to harsh or temperate conditions, which might correspondingly meet a pollinator-poor or hyphen rich environment. This would be beneficial for the widely-distributed species to adapt to various environmental changes.     

Growth performance of larval and juvenile manila clam (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ruditapes philippinarum</Emphasis>) from divergently selected individuals of a full-sib family

In this study, the method of divergent selection was employed to test the larval and juvenile growth performance within a full-sib family of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum. The 10% largest and 10% smallest clam individuals (on the basis of shell length) of a full-sib family were selected as parents for the fast and slow growing lines, respectively. The difference in shell length was significant among the three lines (fast, control, and slow) tested. The sequence of shell length were fast line > control line > slow line. The responses to selection, realized heritability, and genetic gain were 0.06%–0.81%, 0.04%–0.47% and 0.58%–18.89% in the fast direction, respectively; and were 0.14%–1.27%, 0.08%–0.73%, and 0.31%–49.03% in the slow direction, respectively. The results suggested that there was a large portion of additive genetic variance affecting the growth in the full-sib family. Selection in the fast direction within the full-sib family would greatly improve the growth of R. philippinarum.     

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in intron 1 and intron 2 of Larimichthys crocea growth hormone gene are correlated with growth traits

The growth hormone gene (GH) affects animal growth and is a potential target for genetic studies of variation related to growth traits. In this study, we analyzed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in GH intron regions and their associations with growth traits in large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea, from Zhejiang and Fujian stocks. The results of PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism showed two haplotypes of intron 1, named AA and AB genotypes, in Zhejiang stock. AB exhibited an SNP at position 196 (G A) that was negatively correlated with body height and positively correlated with standard length/body height (P 0.05). Two different genotypes, CC and CD, were identified in intron 2 in Fujian stock, with CD showing an SNP at position 692 (T C). The CD genotype had a significantly positive correlation with both weight and total length (P 0.01). These basic data highlight the potential for using GH as a genetic marker of fish growth in marker assisted selection.     

Genetic improvement on Chinese shrimp （Fenneropenaeus chinensis）： growth and viability performance in F1 hybrids of different populations

Fenneropenaeus chinensis distributed in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China and the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Different geographical populations represent potentially different genetic resources. To learn further the characteristics of different geographical population, crosses among two wild and three farmed populations were produced. The two wild populations were from the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea (WYP), and the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and coast (WKN). The three farmed populations included the offspring of first generation of wild shrimp from coast in Korea (FKN), the Huang Hai (the Yellow Sea in Chinese) No. 1 (HH 1), and JK98. The phenotypes growth and survival rates of these populations were compared to confirm the feasibility for crossbreeding. The body length (BL), carapace length (CL), carapace width (CW), height of the second and third abdominal segment (HST), width of the second and third abdominal segment (WST), length of the first abdominal segment (LF), length of the last abdominal segment (LL), live body weight (BW), and survival rate were measured. Different combinations were statistically performed with ANOVA and Duncan's Multiple significant difference (P<0.05) in BL, CL, HST, LL, and BW; and insignificant difference (P0.05) in other growth traits and survival rate. The results of Duncan's Multiple Range Test are that BL and CL of was the best combination in all growth traits. Therefore, hybridization can introduce the variation to base populations. The systematic selection program based on additive genetic performance may be more effective than crossbreeding.     

Genetic improvement on Chinese shrimp （Fenneropenaeus chinensis）： growth and viability performance in F1 hybrids of different populations

Fenneropenaeus chinensis distributed in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China and the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. Different geographical populations represent potentially different genetic resources. To learn further the characteristics of different geographical population, crosses among two wild and three farmed populations were produced. The two wild populations were from the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea （WYP）, and the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and coast （WKN）. The three farmed populations included the offspring of first generation of wild shrimp from coast in Korea （FKN）, the Huang Hai （the Yellow Sea in Chinese） No.1 （HH1）, and JK98. The phenotypes growth and survival rates of these populations were compared to confirm the feasibility for crossbreeding. The body length （BL）, carapace length （CL）. carapace width （CW）, height of the second and third abdominal segment （HST）, width of the second and third abdominal segment （WST）, length of the first abdominal segment （LF）, length of the last abdominal segment （LL）, live body weight （BW）, and survival rate were measured, Different combinations were statistically performed with ANOVA and Duncan＇s Multiple Range Test. The results show that the survival rate of JK98（♀）×WKN（♂） was the highest, followed by WYP（♀）×WKN（♂）, FKN（♀）×WYP（♂）, FKN（♀）×HHI（♂） and WYP（♀）×FKN（♂）; the body weight of FKN（♀）×HHI（♂） was the highest, followed by FKN（♀）×WYP（♂）, WYP（♀）×WKN（♂）, WYP（♀）×FKN（♂） and JK98（♀）×WKN（♂）; the total length had the same ranking as the body weight. All growth traits in hybrids JK98（♀）×WKN（♂） were the lowest among all combinations. F1 hybrids had significant difference （P〈0.05） in BL, CL, HST, LL, and BW; and insignificant difference （P〉0.05） in other growth traits and survival rate. The results of Duncan＇s Multiple Range Test are that BL and CL of J     

Effect of carbon source on growth and lipid accumulation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella sorokiniana</Emphasis> GXNN01

Heterotrophic culture of microalgae to develop methods of increasing biomass productivity and storage lipids has brought new insight to commercial biodiesel production. To understand the relationship between heterotrophy and lipid production, the effects of carbon sources on the growth and lipid accumulation of Chlorella sorokiniana GXNN01 was studied. The alga exhibited an increased growth rate in response to the addition of carbon sources, which reached the stationary phase after 48 h at 30°C. In addition, glucose and NaAc had a significant effect on the lipid accumulation during the early-stationary phase. Specifically, the lipid content was 0.237±0.026 g g⁻¹ cell dry weight and 0.272±0.041 g L⁻¹ when glucose was used as the carbon source, whereas the lipid content reached 0.287±0.018 g g⁻¹ cell dry weight and 0.288±0.008 g L⁻¹ when NaAc was used as the carbon source. The neutral lipid content was found to first decrease and then increase over time during the growth phase. A glucose concentration of 20 mmol L⁻¹ gave the maximal lipid yield and the optimum harvest time was the early-stationary phase.     

Mass Selection for Fast Growth in the Third Generation of the Orange Line of the Manila Clam Ruditapes philippinarum

The Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum is natively distributed along the Pacific coast of Asia, where it is one of the most important bivalve species for local fisheries. This species has been intentionally introduced due to its high adaptability to various coastal environments and is currently widely cultivated in Europe and North America. We have initiated a selective breeding program to improve the growth rate of the Manila clam since 2007, and a full-sib family with orange shell color was selected. This family features high survival but slow growth. Thereafter, two generations of mass selection were conducted in this family by 10% upward selection for faster growth. In 2011, three types of lines were produced by selecting the breeder from the second-generation of selected lines. These lines are SS(subject to three generations of selection for growth in shell length), SC(selected for the second but not the third generation), and C(randomly sampled individuals from the national population). The genetic parameters of the shell length including hR2(realized heritability), SR(selection response), and GG(genetic gain) were analyzed. Results showed that the shell length of the SS line was significantly larger than those of the SC and C lines at all developmental stages(P 0.05). For the larval stage, the values of hR2, SR, and GG were 0.42, 0.73, and 6.66, respectively. For the juvenile stage, the values of hR2, SR, and GG were 0.40, 0.69, 21.76, respectively. For grow-out stage, the values of hR2, SR, and GG were 0.48, 0.83, and 18.22, respectively. The results of hR2 indicated the good potential of the SS line in selective breeding. The level of GG improvement was encouraging and consistent with the previous expectations. No inbreeding depressions in the shell length were observed in the SS and SC lines at all sampling days. All of the results indicate that maintaining selection pressure in successive generations may be effective in the selective breeding program of this family.     

Relationships between body weight and other morphological traits in young sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicas

Correlation, multiple regression, and path analyses were used to investigate the relationships between body weight and three other morphological traits in juvenile Japanese sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus. We measured live body weight(BW), body length(BL), numbers of papillae(NP), and numbers of tube feet(NF) at 60, 80, 100, and 130 days post-hatching(dph). We calculated path correlation coe cients, correlation indices( R~2), and coe cients of determination with BW as the dependent variable and the other morphological traits as independent variables. The coe cient of variation for BW was high across all age groups, and all measured morphological traits were significantly correlated( P 0.01). BL had the greatest direct ef fect on BW across all age groups(60 dph, 0.526; 80 dph, 0.404; 100 dph, 0.620;and 130 dph, 0.681), while NF had the greatest indirect ef fect on BW across all age groups(60 dph, 0.528;80 dph, 0.452; 100 dph, 0.666; and 130 dph, 0.603). Regression analyses between morphological traits and BW indicated that R 2 was greater than 0.85 only in the 100-dph specimens. The indirect ef fects of the other measured morphological traits on BW were age-dependent. The optimal regression equations,as determined with stepwise regression, were, for 60-dph specimens: BW_(60)=10~((-3.04+0.092 BL+0.014 NP+0.014 NF))( R~2 =0.632); for 80-dph specimens: BW _(80)=10~((-3.035+0.056 BL+0.017 NP+0.02 NF))( R~2 =0.686); for 100-dph specimens:BW_(100) =10~((-3.742+0.069 BL+0. 633*l g( NP)+0. 464*l g( NF)))( R~2 =0.893); and for 130-dph specimens: BW_(130)=10~((-2.472+0.065 BL+0.012 NP))( R~2 =0.774). Our work clarified the correlation between various morphological traits and body weight of a commercially-important sea cucumber species( A. japonicus). Our predictive models for body weight might be useful for the aquaculture and selective breeding of A. japonicus. These models might also provide theoretical support for the indirect selection of traits that are di cult to select directly.     

马氏珠母贝选系F_2早期选择反应和现实遗传力估计

对马氏珠母贝基础群体进行持续选择建立选系F2,比较了选系F2与对照群体早期生长差别,并估计了选择反应和现实遗传力。结果表明,在第8、14、21和35天,选系F2的平均壳长显著大于对照群体(P<0.05)。在第8、14、21和35天,选择反应和现实遗传力变化范围分别为0.63～0.89和0.36～0.51。本研究表明利用群体选择可以明显改良马氏珠母贝养殖群体的生长性状。