Heritability and quantitative trait locus analyses of intermuscular bones in mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one of the major aquaculture species in the world and accounts for approximately 8% of the total aquaculture production. The presence of intermuscular bones (IMBs) dramatically affects the economic value of this fish in the market. To understand the genetic variation in IMBs in common carp, in this study, we estimated the heritability and carried out quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of IMBs in mirror carp. We used 30 full-sib families including 871 individuals to calculate the heritability and genetic correlation and found that the heritability of the total IMB count, Y-shaped (YS) IMB count and I-shaped (IS) IMB count were moderate and significant (P