GENETIC-IMPROVEMENT OF COMMON CARP CYPRIN US-CARPIO L - STATE-OF-THE-ART

The common carp, whose production area spreads on the two hemispheres, is the earliest domesticated fish species. Numerous scientific works, especially in genetics, refer to the carp. The methods of population genetics allow to define the level of genetic variability. This charac terization of domesticated and wild stocks leads first to the optimisa tion of the choice of strains according to zootechnical aims and secon dly to the elaboration of performing breeding Schemes by use of electr ophoretical markers. Up to now, biochemical studies have shown the hig h level of inbreeding of some captive strains and the negative resulta nt effects on performances (susceptibility to diseases). We can admit that for such strains a selection plateau has been attained for growth characteristics. From a practical point of view, the main carp select ion schemes are based on intraspecific crosses, good results have been obtained for growth, disease resistance and resistance to cold enviro nmental condition. Nevertheless the family selection is supposed to of fer interesting results for carp selection, but it remains to be teste d. The technics of the induction of monosex diploid or triploid popula tions are now available, but up to now their breeding characteristics remain to be examined. Finally, the transgenesis methodology has been elaborated and sucessfully tested with the common carp.