Flesh quality improvement in fish through breeding

In salmonids, which are fat fish, phenotypic and genetic parameters in flesh quality traits have been studied in several investigations while little has been done in other fish species. For traits like fat percentage, area of fat depot, and flesh colour in salmonids, relatively large genetic variation has been found. There is an unfavourable genetic correlation between body weight and the traits fat percentage and area of fat depot. The expected response to selection in quality traits, considering single trait selection, varies between 5 and 15% per generation. Quality traits can usually be recorded only on dead animals, and therefore family selection must be practised in a breeding programme.