Aquaculture Genetics Research In Malawi

Abstract

Aquaculture genetics research is carried out at the National Aquaculture Centre at Domasi, Malawi, by staff of the University of Malawi (UM) and the Department of Fisheries. The main species cultured are from genera Tilapia and Oreochromis. The genus Oreochromis was domesticated without proper identification of the various species especially in the subgenus Nyasalapia where three species (O. karongae, O. squamipinnis, and O. lidole) are difficult to identify before they reach breeding size. It is, however, observed that local fishers can identify these species using morphological characters. There have been no attempts to carry out deliberate domestication selection in the small-scale farms with the prevailing practices probably leading to deterioration of stock performance and decline in genetic diversity. Studies showed that wild populations grow faster than domesticated populations, and results of mass selection on collimated individuals suggest that selected individuals grow faster than unselected individuals. Studies of population genetics of domesticated and wild tilapias are underway at UM.