Enhancing host resistance to infectious disease has received increasing attention in recent years as a major goal of farm animal breeding programs. Combining field data with genomic tools can provide opportunities to understand the genetic architecture of disease resistance, leading to new opportunities for disease control. In the current study, a genome-wide association study was performed to assess resistance to the Tilapia lake virus (TiLV), one of the biggest threats affecting Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus); a key aquaculture species globally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNile tilapia is predominantly produced in smallholder ponds without aeration. We hypothesize that Nile tilapia with high oxygen uptake efficiency (OUE) may perform better under these conditions than Nile tilapia with low OUE. Critical swimming speed (U, in cm s) is a potential indicator for OUE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccurately measuring the phenotype at the individual level is critical to the success of selective breeding programs. Feed efficiency is a key sustainability trait and is typically approached through feed conversion ratio (FCR). This requires measurements of body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI), the latter being technically challenging in fish.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTilapia are among the most important farmed fish species worldwide, and are fundamental for the food security of many developing countries. Several genetically improved Nile tilapia () strains exist, such as the iconic Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT), and breeding programs typically follow classical pedigree-based selection. The use of genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data can enable an understanding of the genetic architecture of economically important traits and the acceleration of genetic gain via genomic selection.
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