Inheritance of skeletal deformities in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) - lack of operculum, lordosis, vertebral fusion and LSK complex

Abstract

Morphological abnormalities in farmed gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) are a major problem as it entails significant economic losses. In this study, 3 large scale experiments under different conditions of spawning, offspring handling and breeders phenotype were performed to analyze the inheritance of 4 types of deformities in this species: lack of operculum, lordosis, vertebral fusion, which are 3 of the most important skeletal deformities, and LSK, which is a consecutive repetition of lordosis/ scoliosis/kyphosis.