Back to results

Virginia Tech

Family growth response to fishmeal and plant-based diets shows genotype x diet interaction in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The ability of rainbow trout to efficiently utilize plant-based diets for growth and the genetic variation for that trait have not been thoroughly examined. In this study, growth of a pedigreed population from the commercial Kamloop strain was assessed while feeding plant-based or traditional fishmeal-based diets. Both fish oil (5.00%) and soybean oil (8.43%) were included in the plant-based diet, and only fish oil was used in the fishmeal diet (10.10%). Ninety-five full-sib families nested within 47 half-sib families were reared in a common environment. Parentage assignment was performed on approximately 1,000 fish fed each diet using eight microsatellite markers chosen for non-duplication, a minimum of five alleles with no known null alleles, at least 50% heterozygosity, and unambiguous scoring. Progeny were assigned to parental pairs using two allocation programs, PAPA and FAP, to increase accuracy and to test assignment efficiency. The fish fed the fishmeal/oil diet were approximately 8% larger than the fish fed the plant-based diet (P < 0.05). A significant genotype x diet effect accounted for 5% of the random variation. The genetic correlation for growth on the two diets was 73%, with a heritability of 30% across the diets. With this, I conclude that substantial genetic variation for utilizing pant-based diets containing soybean meal and oil exists in this widely used commercial rainbow trout strain. The genetic variation can be explored to detect and select for genes involved in proved utilization of plant-based diets containing soybean meal and oil if growth on plant-based meals becomes a long-term breeding goal in rainbow trout production.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
Department dc:contributor.department
Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2008

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Pierce, Lindsey Renea
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Hallerman, Eric M.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Palti, Yniv
  • Smith, Edward J.

Subjects

dc:subject × 6

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-07082008-230330
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33931

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Pierce, Lindsey Renea. Family growth response to fishmeal and plant-based diets shows genotype x diet interaction in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/33931