Heritability of fatty acid synthesis in Arctic charr and the effect of n-3 / n-6 ratios of the feed, temperature, and their interaction

Description

Arctic charr is an excellent choice for development of a sustainable land-based aquaculture industry. However, there remain some challenges that are limiting the development of Arctic charr as a viable aquaculture species. One of the main challenges is poor and variable fertilization success and egg survival rates within the culture environment. It is clear that diet can have substantial impacts on gamete quality, fertilization success, egg survival, early growth performance, and optimal fatty acid profiles in the flesh; nutritional requirements of the brood must be met to support reproductive performance, with a particular focus on supplying essential fatty acids that fish cannot synthesize.

The primary goal of this project is to determine the impact of altered fatty acids in the feed on fertilization success, performance, and temperature sensitivity of cultured Arctic charr, and to determine the heritability of fatty acid synthesis and performance at higher rearing temperatures.

Program name

Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

Years

Two years: 2019-2021

Principal investigator

Ian Forster, research scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research, Pacific Region
Email: Ian.Forster@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Team members

Full-time technician (not yet hired)

Collaborators

Brad Hicks, Executive Vice President, Taplow Feeds
Wendy Vandersteen, Head of Broodstock Development, Miracle Springs Inc.