Hybrid striped bass National Breeding Program: Research towards genetic improvement of a non-model species

Authors: Fuller, Adam; Beck, Benjamin; Rawles, Steven - Steve; Green, Bartholomew - Bart; LI, CHAO - Auburn University; PEATMAN, ERIC - Auburn University; Childress, Catherine; GAYLORD, GIBSON - Us Fish And Wildlife Service; Barrows, Frederic; McEntire, Matthew - Matt

Submitted to: Bulletin of Fisheries Research Agency
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2016
Publication Date: 6/6/2017
Citation: Fuller, S.A., Beck, B.H., Rawles, S.D., Green, B.W., Li, C., Peatman, E., Childress, C.J., Gaylord, G., Barrows, F., Mcentire, M.E. 2017. Hybrid striped bass National Breeding Program: Research towards genetic improvement of a non-model species. Bulletin of Fisheries Research Agency. 45:89-100.

Interpretive Summary: The hybrid striped bass (HSB) farming industry at present relies almost totally on wild broodstock for annual production of larvae and fingerlings, and industry efforts to domesticate the parent species of the HSB (white bass: WB, Morone chrysops; striped bass: SB, M. saxatilis) have been fairly limited in scope. At the USDA-ARS HKD Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center (SNARC), multiple areas of research are being pursued, with the end result being to provide HSB producers with a better performing line of broodfish. Multiple areas of research are currently being pursued at SNARC, such as: 1) the development of genomic resources for WB and SB; 2) the molecular and physiological consequences of alternative production and broodstock diets on HSB and parental species; and 3) the molecular and physiological consequences of exposure to different production environments. An overview of scientific findings from each of these research areas is discussed in the article, and how these finding are being used to solve problems facing the aquaculture industry are addressed.

Technical Abstract: The hybrid striped bass (HSB) farming industry at present relies almost totally on wild broodstock for annual production of larvae and fingerlings, and industry efforts to domesticate the parent species of the HSB (white bass: WB, Morone chrysops; striped bass: SB, M. saxatilis) have been fairly limited in scope. At the USDA-ARS HKD Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center (SNARC), multiple areas of research are being pursued, with the end result being to provide HSB producers with a better performing line of broodfish. Multiple areas of research are currently being pursued at SNARC, such as: 1) the development of genomic resources for WB and SB; 2) the molecular and physiological consequences of alternative production and broodstock diets on HSB and parental species; and 3) the molecular and physiological consequences of exposure to different production environments. An overview of these research findings is discussed in the research report and how these findings have affected future research at SNARC.