Selective breeding of tilapia

The aquaculture subsector is important for food and nutritional security. However,

the gains made in the industry may be curtailed by inadequate quality seed. Currently,

hatcheries are plagued by inbreeding, hybridization of related stocks, and poor-quality

bloodstocks due to lack of proper selective breeding plans or strain improvement for

bloodstock’s development. Properly designed selective breeding programs in both public

and private hatcheries will be the solution to provision of quality seeds for sustained

aquaculture growth. Genetic improvement of tilapia is important in provision of quality

seeds to farmers for growth in body weight and sustainable aquaculture development.

Body weight, survival, and resistance to diseases are heritable traits that can be improved

through selective breeding for a long-term genetic gain and trait improvement Abwao,

Jung’a, Barasa, Kyule, Opiyo, Awuor & Keya, (2021).

Cross breeding

It is a method being employed by the fish farmers in order to produced an

offspring that may carry good traits coming from the two or more different species of fish

belong to the same family just like Oreochromis niloticus, Oreochromis mosambique,

Oreochromis aureus, Oreochromis spilurus. For instance, cross breeding O. niloticus and

O. mosambique may produce offspring which is having fast growth rate and higher

tolerance in salinity which are traits of O. niloticus and O. mosambique respectively.

Cross breeding (hybridization) of two species is one of the most basic methods of

integrating desirable traits. Hybridization is an essential technique for natural

recombination of male and female genetic materials from different strains or different

species which aims to improve growth rate, yield, reproduction rate, diseases resistance

and quality (Bartley et al. 2000; Lou & Li, 2006 and Li et al., 2012)

References

Abwao, J., Jung’a, J., Barasa, J. E., Kyule, D., Opiyo, M., Awuor, J. F., ... &

Keya, G. A. (2021). Selective breeding of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus: A strategy

for increased genetic diversity and sustainable development of aquaculture in

Kenya. Journal of Applied Aquaculture, 1-20.

Bartley, D. M., Rana, K., & Immink, A. J. (2000). The use of inter-specific

hybrids in aquaculture and fisheries. Reviews in fish biology and fisheries, 10, 325-337.

Lou, Y. D., & Li, X. Q. (2006). Distant hybridization of fish and its application in aquaculture in
China. J Fish Sci China, 1, 159-164.
Li, Y. L., Chen, C., Zhai, J. M., Li, B., & Wang, Q. Y. (2012). Fish hybridization and its application
in grouper. Marine Fisheries, 34(1), 102-109.