Designing a breeding programme for brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana)

Brine shrimp, members of the Artemia genus, have exceptional nutritional value and can be used as live food for early larval stages in aquaculture species. Most Artemia in the market are currently sourced from natural ecosystems, however there is growing interest in farming brine shrimp to establish a sustainable and reliable supply. Despite this, studies on breeding and quantitative genetics remain limited in number. The goal of this study was to initiate the development of a commercially orientated genetic breeding programme for Artemia franciscana. We began defining phenotypic traits of interest and collected various life cycle and genomic parameters on Artemia franciscana, to use as an input for stochastic modelling of different breeding programme scenarios. To this end, we have simulated breeding programmes based on various types of selection, population sizes, and phenotyping strategies, with particular focus on technical feasibility to implement a realistic large-scale breeding programme. Furthermore, we tested multi-trait selection by modulating various levels of heritability and genetic correlations between two traits mimicking naupliar length and pre-reproductive period, as well as their respective weights in the selection index. We have compared breeding programmes in terms of efficacy to generate desired gains and maintain genetic variation. Preliminary results showcase mass selection, based on either performance at the individual or family level, as the most promising strategies at this early testing stage. In that sense, individual selection was more effective in preserving genetic variation and driving the genetic mean of both traits toward the desired direction. On the other hand, family-based selection might be more appealing for small-scale and controlled breeding programs, but should be set-up with caution, as it can lead to faster decay of genetic variation. This work set the foundations for the development of large-scale breeding programmes for Artemia franciscana and other similar species, thus contributing to more sustainable aquaculture.