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.

Artificial induction of mito-gynogenetic diploids in large yellow croaker(Pseudosciaena crocea) by hydrostatic pressure

The present study investigated conditions for inducing mito-gynogenetic(endomitosis) diploids by hydrostatic pressure in the large yellow croaker Pseudosciaena crocea.In haploid control groups,the development of eggs was activated with ultraviolet radiated semen.All fry presented typical haploid syndrome in the haploid control groups,and were verified as haploids using cytometry.After hydrostatic pressure treatment,morphologically normal fry reappeared at different frequencies according to the intensity and time of pressure shock.Fry with normal appearance in the pressure treated groups were verified as gynogenetic double haploids(GDHs),containing only one allele from the female parent at all four diagnostic microsatellite loci.For a fixed duration of 3 min,the optimal intensity of blocking the first mitosis was determined to be 40 Mpa,which was similar to that of blocking the second meiosis.There was a "window" of starting time,from 36.1 min to 38.1 min post-insemination at 25.0±1.0°C,within which the production of GDHs was not significantly different.Maximum production of morphologically normal fries,9.36%±2.97% of developed eggs,was found when the eggs were shocked with hydrostatic pressure at 40 Mpa for 3 min,starting from 38.1 min post insemination at 25.0±1.0°C.