Aquaculture

Genetic parameters for survival rate and harvest weight in Litopenaeus vannamei in commercial ponds in Ecuador using genomic relationships

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for survival and body weight at harvest under commercial grow-out conditions for the fifth generation of selection in a breeding population of Litopenaeus vannamei from the Genomar / La Chamecita company in Ecuador. Survival information from 524 animals from two trial groups obtained in 4-day periods was studied. Six plastic hapas for each trial group were installed inside individual ponds. Individual survival times were recorded continuously by observing hapas. The total duration of each trial group was 522 and 377 hours, and the final survival rates were 21.1 and 29.2%, respectively. The survival traits analyzed were survival time (T25, T50, T75 and T100) and binary survival (S25, S50, S75 and S100), with records restricted to 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the total time within each trial group. Harvest body weights of 5,918 animals were obtained from the two ponds at 29 and 45 days, respectively. DNA samples were collected for all measured animals. The genomic relationship matrix was constructed following the method of VanRaden using approximately 36K SNPs after quality control with ASRgenomics, and genetic parameters were estimated with ASReml-R. Fixed effects considered in the models were sex, pond / cage. Random effects were animal with genomic relationships. In univariate analyses, heritability for T25 and S25 was estimated as 0.04±0.05 and 0.07±0.06. Additive genetic variances for T50-T100 and S50-S100 were lower. In the bivariate analyses (weight with T25 and weight with S25), a heritability for body weight of 0.16±0.02 was estimated. The parameters for T25 and S25 were similar to those observed in the univariate analyses. The estimated genetic correlation of body weight with T25 and S25 was close to zero (0.12±0.31 and 0.01±0.26, respectively). The survival rates observed in these trials are lower than those usually recorded in commercial ponds in Ecuador over longer periods of growth, which suggests that the values of the genetic parameters may have been affected by strong environmental effects. In the future, some changes in the trial features such as density inside the cages and the use of longer adaptation periods may be considered. These results indicate that cage trials under commercial pond conditions may be useful to estimate genetic parameters for survival and body weight using genomic relationships.

Keywords: 2026

How to Cite:

Chuma-Alvarez, J., Montaldo, H. & Intriago-Díaz, W., (2026) “Genetic parameters for survival rate and harvest weight in Litopenaeus vannamei in commercial ponds in Ecuador using genomic relationships”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive 2026(1): 2295700. doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.24359

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