Genetic estimates for length and weight of coho salmon during freshwater rearing

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Abstract
Heritability estimates and genetic and phenotypic correlations were calculated for weight and length of coho salmon during the freshwater period of growth. Estimates were based on measurements of progeny from 20 half-sib and 40 full-sib groups for two brood years. The heritability estimates for both brood years were high ranging from 0.61 to 0.22 and indicated that genetic improvement might be both rapid and substantial. Partitioning of the environmental variance component suggested that variation stemming from common environmental effects may be relatively unimportant even when full- and half-sib groups are reared together. Genetic and phenotypic correlations for weight and length of individual fish were high, inferring either pleiotropic gene action or close linkage of the associated genes. Values were consistent for the two brood years. Genetic correlations between other traits were significantly different from zero for one year class and nonsignifi cant, for the most part, in the other year class.