Improvement of Oyster

Breeding in Malaysia

Prepared by:
IFFAH INANI BT HASHIM (SEN110008)
NUR AINA AINI BT CHE MOHD SHUKRI (SEN110016)

Introduction
Oyster - any member of the families Ostreidae (true oysters) or
Aviculidae (pearl oysters)
Bivalve mollusks
Found in temperate and warm coastal waters of all oceans.

True oysters have been cultivated as food for more than 2,000 years.

Introduction
Species commercially found in
Malaysia:

Crassostrea belcheri
Crassostrea iredalei
Ostrea folium
Saccostrea spp.

SPECIES

STATE
Johore

Crassostrea belcheri

Sabah
Sarawak

Crassostrea rivularis

Sarawak
Sabah

Saccostrea cucullata

Sarawak
Ostrea folium

Kedah

Life cycle

Reproductive prime - at about 3 years

of age.
Once adult oysters are ripe they can
begin to spawn.
After fertilization drift in water
cell division become juvenile
larvae
After two weeks old concentrate
at the bottom of the river attached
to hard substrate undergo
complete metamorphosis become
spat
Become juvenile at one year
become adult at 3 year old.

Crassostrea belcheri
Chromosome number, (n=10)
Potential for aquaculture
High demand by farmers compared with other local oyster species
High demand among customers

Problem statement

Low growth rate

Oyster farming can be a lucrative business. It

can fetch RM5 per piece if sold based on hotel
price
-Borneo Post, 2013

Expose to:

Result in:

Siltation (Water
pollution)
Predation by xanthid
crab and starfish
Poor spatfall

Low yield production

Lack of natural oysters
seed

Goals
To improve growth rate of local C. belcheri oyster
To produce oysters seeds in term of quality and quantity
Method: Crossbreeding
Between local C. belcheri and fast growth C. belcheri from Thailand
C. belcheri

Malaysia

Thailand

Size (Average)

12-14 cm

10-15 cm

Growth rate

> 1 year

7-8 month

Description

Problem in sustaining the

Able to export its oyters
industry due to insufficient (ahead from other ASEAN
seed stock
countries)

Breeding Design (crossbreed)

C. belcheri (Malaysia)

C. belcheri (Thailand)

F1
(selection for fast grow progeny)
(F1XF1 self cross)
Stable (superior breeds)

Experimental Design
Crossbreed between C. Belcheri from Malaysia and
Thailand

(C. Belcheri (Malaysia) X C. belcheri (Thailand) )

Monitor the F1 generation:

Looking at growth
Compare the growth rate between the offspring

After 4 or 5 month, rank the offspring based on the fast

growth to later growth

Once has ranked the offspring, select for the fastest

growth and normal growth:
Laboratory work: RNA extraction and send for
sequencing

Phenotypes of interest :
Growth rate

Sequencing result:

Compare both sequence fast grow and normal

Choose growth gene in osyter such as amylase gene
Compare the gene in the both sequence
To see any mutation occur in the fast grow offspring

If there are mutation occurs in the fast grow progeny (e.g SNP)
Hypothesis: The fast growth osyter is because of the
mutation occur in the growth gene

Design primer for the marker

To screen for fast grow osyter

Conclusion

References
The 4th International Oyster Symposium (IOS4). (2011).
Prudence, M., Moal, J., Boudry, P., Daniel, J. Y., Quere, C., Jeffroy, F., . .
. Huvet, A. (2006). An amylase gene polymorphism is associated with
growth differences in the Pacific cupped oyster Crassostrea gigas.
Animal Genetics. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2052.2006.01481.x