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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Aquatic Animal Health Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #416703
Research Project: Integrated Research to Improve Aquatic Animal Health in Warmwater Aquaculture

Location: Aquatic Animal Health Research

Title: Ten years of selectively breeding Nile tilapia for disease resistance: Where are we and where are we going?

Author
item Lafrentz, Benjamin
item Shoemaker, Craig
item SEGOVIA, HIDEYOSHI - Spring Genetics
item LOPEZ, CARLOS - Spring Genetics
item RYE, MORTON - Benchmark Genetics
item LOZANO, CARLOS - Benchmark Genetics
item VELA-AVITÚA, SERGIO - Benchmark Genetics

Submitted to: Western Fish Disease Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/2024
Publication Date: 7/29/2024
Citation: LaFrentz, B.R., Shoemaker, C.A., Segovia, H., Lopez, C., Rye, M., Lozano, C.A., Vela-Avitua, S. 2024. Ten years of selectively breeding Nile tilapia for disease resistance: Where are we and where are we going[ABSTRACT]? Western Fish Disease Workshop and Fish Health Section AFS Annual Meeting, July 30 – August 1, 2024, Boise, ID, USA. 10.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) are susceptible to numerous bacterial and viral pathogens such as Streptococcus iniae, S. agalactiae, columnaris-causing bacteria, Francisella orientalis, and tilapia lake virus (TiLV). Disease prevention and control options for these pathogens include management strategies, vaccines, probiotics, organic acids, essential oils, and antibiotics. These can be effective at times, but economic losses due to disease remain problematic and costly for the tilapia industry. A complimentary approach to these strategies is selective breeding for disease resistance. In 2014 a partnership between USDA-ARS, Spring Genetics, and Benchmark Genetics was formed to determine the potential to selectively breed Nile tilapia (O. niloticus) for disease resistance, as this was largely unknown at the time for tilapia. Over the past 10 years, collaborative research has been conducted to determine the heritability of resistance to bacterial and viral pathogens of tilapia, identify genetic markers strongly correlated with resistance, identify mechanisms for disease resistance, and address new industry relevant pathogens. In this two-part presentation, an overview of the selective breeding program and applied research will be provided focusing on where we are on this journey and where we are going. The culmination of this research has been the development of disease tolerant strains of tilapia that provides tilapia farmers with an additional management tool for reducing disease associated losses in tilapia aquaculture.