Animal Molecular Breeding, 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 9-18 http://animalscipublisher.com/index.php/amb 9 Meta Analysis Open Access Meta Analysis of Growth Traits in Tilapia and Strategies for Genetic Improvement Wenying Hong, Rudi Mai Tropical Bioresources Research Center, Hainan Tropical Agricultural Resources Research Institute, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding author: rudi.mai@hitar.org Animal Molecular Breeding, 2025, Vol.15, No.1 doi: 10.5376/amb.2025.15.0002 Received: 15 Dec., 2024 Accepted: 17 Jan., 2025 Published: 30 Jan., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Hong and Mai, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Hong W.Y., and Mai R.D., 2025, Meta analysis of growth traits in tilapia and strategies for genetic improvement, Animal Molecular Breeding, 15(1): 9-18 (doi: 10.5376/amb.2025.15.0002) Abstract This study explored the analysis of the growth characteristics of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), covering core indicators such as body size parameters, growth rate, feed conversion efficiency (FCR), and sexual maturity regulation. The core growth traits show the characteristics of medium to high intensity of heritability. There is a significant genetic correlation among the traits, and they are significantly regulated by the aquaculture environment. Key genetic regulatory elements - including QTL hotspots and functional genes such as IGF1, growth hormone (GH), and myostatin (MSTN) - have been confirmed to dominate the growth regulatory network. The application value of conventional techniques such as family selection and interspecific hybridization, as well as modern biotechnologies such as molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS) and whole-genome selection (GS). Although MAS and GS technologies have the advantages of precision and efficiency, the practical application of gene editing tools requires the establishment of standardized processes for ecological risk assessment and commercial promotion. It is further emphasized that building a cross-border genetic data collaboration platform and a joint breeding network is of strategic significance for achieving the scale effect of tilapia genetic improvement and the development of an eco-friendly industry. Keywords Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus); Growth traits; Genetic improvement; Meta-analysis; Genomic selection 1 Introduction Oreochromis niloticus, as a major species in global aquaculture, has achieved large-scale farming in more than 130 countries and regions and occupies an important position in freshwater fishery (Herkenhoff et al., 2020; Yanez et al., 2020). This species has become an important biological resource for ensuring the supply of aquatic products due to its strong adaptability, short growth cycle and high market acceptance. In aquaculture practice, key traits such as body type parameters, body weight indicators and muscle content directly affect the aquaculture benefits and industrial economic returns (Thodesen et al., 2013; He et al., 2017; Yoshida et al., 2019). Shortening the breeding cycle can not only increase the annual output, but also significantly increase the economic income of practitioners (Thodesen et al., 2013; Yoshida et al., 2019; Robisalmi et al., 2023). Therefore, enhancing these traits through genetic improvement remains the core objective of current tilapia breeding (Thodesen et al., 2013; Yoshida et al., 2019; Yanez et al., 2020). This study focuses on the genetic improvement technology system of tilapia. Although traditional breeding and new biotechnologies have been implemented for many years, the molecular regulatory network of its growth and development has not been fully elucidated. Although conventional breeding has achieved genetic gain, new technologies such as genomic selection and gene marker-assisted breeding are revolutionizing the traditional model and are expected to accelerate the process of genetic improvement. At present, it is urgently necessary to systematically sort out the relevant research progress, integrate effective technical paths, and provide theoretical support for cultivating excellent strains that take into account both ecological benefits and high-yield characteristics. Through systematic analysis of existing genetic research, it is helpful to summarize successful experiences, optimize breeding plans, and ultimately achieve efficient genetic improvement of tilapia growth traits.
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