Implementation of a gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) breeding program in Murcia

Abstract

Seabream is a species that plays an important role in Spanish aquaculture and whose breeding has been consolidated within the European context. Despite this fact, its industrial production still presents important flaws such as the presence of morphological anomalies from very early ages or not maximized growths, among others. To overcome these points, companies carry out various actions related to feeding, handling, preventing diseases and even the location of their facilities. However, the strategies that have involved genetic selection programs for characters of economic interest for fish farmers have been very scarce. Therefore, the objective of this thesis is to obtain seabream fingerlings from a batch of broodstock that are in the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Marine Crops plant in the Azohía (Murcia), identify them individually with Passive Integrated Transponder, and raise them under the same industrial conditions of a company representative of the Region (Servicios Atuneros del Mediterráneo). This population will be analyzed for growth traits and for carcass and meat quality. Finally, selection criteria for future breeders will be established through those traits that have a greater industrial interest.