Genetic parameters of fillet fatty acids and fat deposition in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) using the novel 30 k Medfish SNP array

Lipid-related traits are important candidates for a breeding goal for gilthead seabream, because they affect both fish and human health, as well as production efficiency. However, to date there have been very few estimates of genetic parameters for these traits, and the genetic relationship between fatty acids and other important traits have never been reported for gilthead seabream. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate genomic heritability and genetic relationships of fat deposition traits and individual muscle fatty acids in a commercial population of gilthead seabream using the novel ~30 k MedFish SNP array. In total 967 gilthead seabream fed with a commercial feed were genotyped with the MedFish SNP chip which included ~30 K informative markers for this species. On average, the fish weighed 372 g. The mean content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was 822 mg per 100 g fillet. The heritability of muscle fat, viscera weight and percentage viscera were in the range of 0.34–0.46. The genetic correlation of body weight with muscle fat was 0.12, indicating that genetic variation in muscle fat is largely independent of the weight of the fish. The heritability of the product of endogenous fatty acid synthesis (n = 240), palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), was high (0.43). The estimated heritability of EPA (%) and DHA (%) was 0.39 and 0.33, respectively. Both EPA and DHA had low, non-significant genetic correlations with body weight, and DHA had a negative genetic correlation with muscle fat (−0.53). It is possible to increase EPA and DHA content in gilthead seabream fillets by selective breeding. The high heritability of 16:1n-7, a marker of de novo lipogenesis, suggests that there is a strong genetic component to this metabolic pathway in gilthead seabream. Muscle fat deposition and body weight seem to be independent traits, and selective breeding for faster growth is not likely to influence the proportional content of EPA and DHA.