Intermuscular bones (IBs) are bony structures found in the muscle septa of teleost fishes, influencing both consumer preference and processing efficiency in aquaculture. Fish with fewer IBs are generally more favored by consumers and pose fewer challenges during processing into products like fish balls and fillets. However, the supply of such preferred varieties often fails to meet market demand, making the breeding of new varieties with reduced IB counts a priority in genetic improvement programs.
A research team led by Kaikun Luo and Zhongyuan Shen from the Engineering Research Center of Polyploid Fish Reproduction and Breeding at Hunan Normal University has proposed a new method to reduce intermuscular bones in offspring through hybridization. The findings, published (DOI: 10.1016/j.repbre.2025.12.001) in the KeAi journal Reproduction and Breeding, provide a molecular biological basis for understanding the phenotypic changes in hybrid lineages and their derivatives, offering insights into the genetic mechanisms behind IB reduction.
The study focused on the number, morphology, and distribution of IBs in BSB, TC, their F1 hybrid (BTF1), and the backcross hybrid (BTB). The results demonstrated that BTB inherited the advantageous trait of fewer IBs from its female parent (BSB) while exhibiting a novel reduction in IBs per sarcomere, highlighting its potential for culinary consumption and industrial processing.”
“In terms of morphology, IBs were classified into seven types: 'I', '卜', 'Y', one-end-multi-fork, two-end-bi-fork, two-end-multi-fork, and tree-branch types.”, shares Shen, “We found that the epineural bones were more complex in morphology than the epipleural bones, with the anterior region of the fish body having a higher proportion of complex IBs.”
“The distribution of IBs varied across different body regions, with the anterior parts generally having more complex morphologies. This is important for evolutionary research and the development of new germplasm,” says Luo.
The study underscores the effectiveness of distant hybridization in creating new fish varieties with reduced IBs. “This method not only integrates desirable traits from different species but also expands genetic variation, leading to novel germplasm resources,” adds Luo.
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References
DOI
10.1016/j.repbre.2025.12.001
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.repbre.2025.12.001
Funding information
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32302970); the National Key Research and Development Plan Program (2023YFD2400902); the Key Research and Development Program of Hunan Province of China (2023WK2001); and the earmarked fund for HARS, grant number HARS-07.
About Reproduction and Breeding
Reproduction and Breeding is an Open Access journal that provides an academic platform for communication within the field. We are seeking high-quality articles on theories and applications associated with reproduction and breeding in plants, animals, humans and other organisms. Submissions exploring many aspects of reproductive biology and breeding will be considered.