EGG, LARVAL, AND FINGERLING TRAITS OF CROSSES AMONG STRIPED BASS (MORONE-SAXATILIS), WHITE BASS (MORONE-CHRYSOPS), AND THEIR F1 HYBRIDS

A 3 X 3 diallel cross among striped bass, white bass, original cross F l hybrid females (striped bass female x white bass male), and reciproc al cross F1 hybrid males (white bass female X striped bass male) was u sed to estimate genetic effects for egg and larval traits. Heterosis w as negative for yolk and total egg volumes and positive for male ferti lity. Striped bass additive effects were positive for oil, yolk, and t otal volumes of eggs; negative for female fertility; positive for leng th of larvae; and negative for body depth and swim bladder inflation o f larvae. Striped bass maternal effects were positive for larval size and ability to ingest brine shrimp, and negative for swim bladder infl ation and survival of larvae, The pattern of deformities, higher in F2 hybrid and backcross larvae than in pure species or F1 hybrid larvae, was indicative of epistatic recombination loss. Four crosses: SE x WE (striped bass female X white bass male), SE X Fl (striped bass female x original cross F1 male), Fl X SE (original cross F1 female X SE mal e), and-WE X SE (white bass female X striped bass male) were evaluated further in recirculating systems. Survival to 40 days post-hatch was highest for SE x WE (12.1%), and higher for SE X Fl (3.5%) than for Fl X SE (0.5%), or WE X SE (0%), Weight and length at 40 days post-hatch were not different for SE X WE (0.23 g and 24.7 mm) and SE x F1 (0.18 g and 22.7 mm). From Day 112 to Day 336 post-hatch SE x WB generally were superior, followed by SE X F1, and then F1 X SE for survival (93. 2%, 88.2%, and 72.4%, respectively), feed conversion (1.50, 1.67, and 1.70), production costs ($13.4 kg(-1), $16.7 kg(-1), and $27.3 kg(-1)) and incidence of deformities (0.8%, 7.7%, and 8.4%). Crosses did not differ for relative growth rate or carcass traits. Favorable striped b ass maternal effects for larval size and ability to ingest brine shrim p coupled with superior fingerling growth of SE x WE indicate that SE x WB are generally superior to other crosses for recirculating system culture. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.