Improving fillet yields through breeding programmes can greatly improve farming efficiency
CT scans can be used to assess traits such as muscle volume and body composition in tilapia. This allows for detailed, non-invasive measurement of carcass traits linked to fillet yield and overall health.
“When combined with genomics and line breeding, CT gives us a powerful toolbox to improve genetic gain,” said Anders Skaarud, senior researcher and project lead at GenoMar, in a press release.
GenoMar began selecting for fillet yield in 2006, which has resulted in a modest increase. However, utilising CT scanning for this trait opens for better genetic evaluations, better selection decisions and ultimately faster genetic progress.
The experiment will take place at GenoMar’s breeding facility in Brazil, where several thousand fish from over 150 families are being raised. Fish are scanned at around 1 kg, and the top 5–10 percent are selected for breeding. This process will be repeated over three to four generations until the project is finished.
While CT-based selection is common in livestock like pigs and poultry, it has not yet been adopted in aquaculture and Genomar believes that the project may be the first to implement the method at scale for fillet yield in fish.
“Our goal is to develop genetic products that increase edible yield, reduce production costs, and make tilapia more affordable,” said Alejandro Tola Alvarez, director of breeding and genetics at GenoMar.
The Research Council of Norway will finance 50 percent of the project, with the remaining cost covered by GenoMar Genetics. The project builds upon earlier feasibility studies conducted in 2021–2022, which demonstrated that tilapia anatomy is well-suited for CT imaging.
