The Development and Commercialization of Tetraploid Technology for Oysters

Abstract

The first use of biotechnology in shellfish aquaculture was induced triploidy which has realized commercial success in the USA (Allen et al., 1989) and is of great interest in most other parts of the world. There are limitations to producing triploids in the hatchery that include toxicity of the treatment, reduced survival of the progeny, and often unpredictable results. Our lab has pioneered the use of tetraploid oysters for crossing with diploids to yield all-triploid progeny (Guo et al., 1996).