Multi-generational selective breeding for high fertility in the marine copepod Bestiolina amoyensis

Multi-generational selective breeding for high fertility in the marine copepod Bestiolina amoyensis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Multi-generational selective breeding for high fertility in the marine copepod Bestiolina amoyensis Zhouyang Ma, Run Hu, Shuhong Wang, Nan Chen This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6470467/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 05 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Copepods are a group of marine plankton that play an essential role in the energy transfer of marine ecosystems. They serve as vital prey for the larvae of numerous economically important species of fish, shrimp, and crabs. Bestiolina amoyensis , a copepod species inhabiting nearshore warm waters, possesses numerous commercial advantages for fishing, including small size, rapid reproduction, and strong adaptability. These make it an ideal live feed for aquaculture. In this study, a breeding plan for high fertility was conducted with B. amoyensis. The samples were breed five generations using the total egg production as breeding index. A circular mating strategy were applied by randomly selected offspring from the 4th day eggs of different pairs both in selected and control groups. The stability of selection also were investigated for another 5, 10, 15 generations. After multiple generations of selection, there was a gain of 23.99% in total egg production in the fifth generation (G5) with a heritability (h 2 ) of 0.46 ± 0.11. The population densities of the selected and control groups were 9075.00 ± 193.18 ind/L and 7200.33 ± 249.18 ind/L, respectively. After the passage of another 5, 10, and 15 generations without selection, there was a decrease in total egg production in the selected group. However, significant differences remained in the total egg production of females and population sizes between the selected and control groups. The results showed that the reproductive capacity of Bestiolina amoyensis has could be improved by continuous selection, which may provide technical support for large-scale and high-density cultivation. Biological sciences/Genetics/Agricultural genetics Biological sciences/Genetics/Animal breeding Earth and environmental sciences/Ocean sciences/Marine biology Genetic breeding Living feed Calanoida copepods Total egg production Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 05 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 03 Jun, 2025 Reviews received at journal 30 May, 2025 Reviews received at journal 07 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 May, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 29 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 29 Apr, 2025 Editor invited by journal 29 Apr, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 29 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 17 Apr, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6470467","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":450841642,"identity":"ae1dc32c-336e-4267-8590-31a7b2fd118b","order_by":0,"name":"Zhouyang Ma","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fisheries College of Jimei University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zhouyang","middleName":"","lastName":"Ma","suffix":""},{"id":450841643,"identity":"96b6545f-1d32-4a90-ad17-1ef3fe710f15","order_by":1,"name":"Run Hu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fisheries College of Jimei University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Run","middleName":"","lastName":"Hu","suffix":""},{"id":450841644,"identity":"0b397a78-51d3-4451-a77a-acabd2b49451","order_by":2,"name":"Shuhong Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fisheries College of Jimei University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shuhong","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":450841645,"identity":"782dff09-c001-46b0-9344-c3945aec7839","order_by":3,"name":"Nan Chen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABB0lEQVRIie3Rv0oDMRzA8YRA4/CDW1Pin1eIBI4OBV8lQcjUoSA4dTgonMtB1zyGLp1PAndLH6BwDhbBySGjgoPpdXLIcaNgvlMI+RB+CUKp1B8sI6SuvWAwIbT1HvpNMUimD6U+2OX8MqNgsB1DxG4n5Zk3crpBOQE0gqC9yjkSTj86ZN7m51td0PWWodVLVGCrDF/2BLdyAZ0uoLlnqHmPEsJUw+3pFsV7whY5w4WLkgnTJYcTEXx2JFcfwwTAEQkijL9GYaj+FhgmjJb4YEV4ZAK31xV0sgRzN1NNnNy4zNf+O3xl1j6/flXdxYa6p71fxcnvcBWmOy7USBD6HH80lUql/k8/SOdW9BYzxUYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Fisheries College of Jimei University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nan","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-04-17 09:53:09","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6470467/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6470467/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33672-6","type":"published","date":"2026-01-05T15:59:14+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":100069463,"identity":"22473df2-dfc7-4694-a382-83d1ce156618","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-12 16:14:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":728251,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"MultigenerationalselectivebreedingforhighfertilityinthemarinecopepodBestiolinaamoyensis.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6470467/v1_covered_615f7538-4fa7-4491-b44f-0dea011f165f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Multi-generational selective breeding for high fertility in the marine copepod Bestiolina amoyensis","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Genetic breeding, Living feed, Calanoida copepods, Total egg production","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6470467/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6470467/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eCopepods are a group of marine plankton that play an essential role in the energy transfer of marine ecosystems. They serve as vital prey for the larvae of numerous economically important species of fish, shrimp, and crabs. \u003cem\u003eBestiolina amoyensis\u003c/em\u003e, a copepod species inhabiting nearshore warm waters, possesses numerous commercial advantages for fishing, including small size, rapid reproduction, and strong adaptability. These make it an ideal live feed for aquaculture. In this study, a breeding plan for high fertility was conducted with \u003cem\u003eB. amoyensis.\u003c/em\u003e The samples were breed five generations using the total egg production as breeding index. A circular mating strategy were applied by randomly selected offspring from the 4th day eggs of different pairs both in selected and control groups. The stability of selection also were investigated for another 5, 10, 15 generations. After multiple generations of selection, there was a gain of 23.99% in total egg production in the fifth generation (G5) with a heritability (h\u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e) of 0.46\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.11. The population densities of the selected and control groups were 9075.00\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;193.18 ind/L and 7200.33\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;249.18 ind/L, respectively. After the passage of another 5, 10, and 15 generations without selection, there was a decrease in total egg production in the selected group. However, significant differences remained in the total egg production of females and population sizes between the selected and control groups. The results showed that the reproductive capacity of \u003cem\u003eBestiolina amoyensis\u003c/em\u003e has could be improved by continuous selection, which may provide technical support for large-scale and high-density cultivation.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Multi-generational selective breeding for high fertility in the marine copepod Bestiolina amoyensis","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-05 17:19:20","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6470467/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-06-03T08:28:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-05-30T07:42:28+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-05-07T07:34:27+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"260659904735282148875536954555901852007","date":"2025-05-01T17:02:09+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"100933364947495051214346654947687966921","date":"2025-04-30T05:20:12+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-30T00:58:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-04-30T00:56:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-29T15:43:39+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-04-29T07:45:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-04-17T09:38:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"f171122f-32ba-4930-9f82-a92514bfc22d","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 5th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":47966667,"name":"Biological sciences/Genetics/Agricultural genetics"},{"id":47966668,"name":"Biological sciences/Genetics/Animal breeding"},{"id":47966669,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Ocean sciences/Marine biology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-12T16:06:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-6470467","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33672-6","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2026-01-05 15:59:14","publishedOnDateReadable":"January 5th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-05 17:19:20","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-025-33672-6","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33672-6","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6470467","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6470467","identity":"rs-6470467","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}