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Estimation of (co)variance components for body weight and survival in the presence of a White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) natural outbreak in the Pacific White Shrimp Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei
Genetic improvement is a strategy for controlling some diseases in aquaculture. The aims of this study were to estimate (co) variance components for body weight and survival in the Pacific white shrimp in a pond affected by a natural outbreak of WSSV, and to compare these estimates with those obtained from a pond where no WSSV was present. Additive genetic variance component for body weight was smaller in the presence of WSSV (1.47±1.86) than in the pond with no WSSV (3.16±0.99). An increase in body weight residual variance was observed in the pond affected by WSSV. Survival additive genetic variance component estimated in the pond affected by WSSV (0.006±0.003) was larger than that estimated in the unaffected one (0.0003±0.002). Results suggest that selection response for body weight and survival at harvesting in the presence of WSSV would be very small.
Keywords:
(co) variance components
natural outbreak
White Spot Syndrome Virus
