Genetic variation in body weight of pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha )

• Published in: Genome
• Main Author: Beacham, Terry D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1989
• Subjects: Genetics; Molecular Biology; General Medicine; Biotechnology; Oncorhynchus gorbuscha; Pink salmon
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/g89-433; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/g89-433

A factorial mating design was used in which three males were mated to either two or three females in each of the three sets of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), and the juveniles were reared for 420 days after fry emergence. The parents used were derived from pink salmon that had been reared for one generation in captivity. Pink salmon families from this captive second generation were characterized by low growth rates, high within-family variance in juvenile weight, and low (< 0.11) heritability of juvenile weight. Maternal effects were estimated to account for about 20% of the observed variation in juvenile weight after the juveniles had been reared for 420 days. The observed results were postulated to be accounted for by variation in egg quality in the parental generation, presumably a consequence of an inadequate diet.Key words: development, genetics, growth, pink salmon, size.