No trade‐off between growth and OsHV‐1 tolerance in Pacific oysters ( Crassostrea gigas) farmed on the West Coast, USA

• Published in: Animal Genetics
• Main Authors: Divilov, Konstantin, Schoolfield, Blaine, Merz, Noah, Langdon, Chris
• Other Authors: Agricultural Research Service
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2023
• Subjects: Pacific; Crassostrea gigas; Pacific oyster
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/age.13375; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/age.13375

Abstract An important pathogen of concern for Pacific oyster growers in the USA is ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV‐1). Currently, oyster stocks exist that are tolerant to OsHV‐1; however, it is uncertain if a trade‐off exists between their tolerance to OsHV‐1 and their growth in different environments. To investigate any potential trade‐offs, Pacific oyster families with varying levels of OsHV‐1 tolerance were grown in a bay where OsHV‐1 is endemic (Tomales Bay, CA) and in a bay where OsHV‐1 is absent (Willapa Bay, WA). In Tomales Bay, we found that oysters from OsHV‐1 tolerant families grew faster than oysters from OsHV‐1 susceptible families, while in Willapa Bay, no statistically significant difference in growth was found between oyster families with different levels of OsHV‐1 tolerance observed in Tomales Bay. These findings indicate that Pacific oysters bred to be tolerant to OsHV‐1 would not be expected to have a longer time‐to‐market regardless of the presence of OsHV‐1 in the growing environment.