26. Production of Genetically Defined Perch Broodstocks and Their Selection for Fast Growth

Restrictions and closures of commercial freshwater fisheries, coupled with continued high consumer demand, have fueled interest in yellow perch aquaculture. However, the general slow growth of this species and the lack of commercially available broodstocks have been an impediment. A yellow perch broodstock program has been established at the University of Wisconsin Great Lakes WATER Institute in collaboration with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. The goals of this program have been to initiate genetically defined perch broodstocks from several North American geographic regions, characterize their growth, embryonic development and reproduction, and to select these stocks to obtain faster growing fish. This chapter describes the (1) genetic analysis used to define wild yellow perch populations across N. America from which broodstocks could potentially be derived; (2) development and characterization of perch broodstocks from three geographic regions of N. America; and (3) selection of these stocks for enhanced growth and the heritability of that growth.