LAUSR

Interspecific hybridization is a useful tool for genetic improvement in organisms propagated by aquaculture. Larimichthys polyactis and L. crocea are both important aquaculture species of the Sciaenidae family of fish in China. To determine whether these two species can be interbred to produce viable offspring, we developed methods to hybridize these two fish species. The progress of embryonic development was monitored, and the relative DNA content and genetic relationships between the hybrids and their parents were analyzed. The results showed that crossing of L. polyactis (♀) and L. crocea (♂) was successful, producing hybrid offspring with a hatch rate (90.5%), higher than those of the control groups for L. polyactis and L. crocea. The data from the relative DNA content investigation demonstrated that all the hybrid offspring were hybrid diploids similar to their parents. Additionally, the hybrids inherited nuclear DNA from both parents and were shown to be true amphimixis hybrids through genetic relationship analysis. Thus, this study provided genetic evidence to support the successful establishment of viable diploid hybrid individuals from crossbreeding L. polyactis (♀) and L. crocea (♂).