A team from Japan’s Fisheries Research Agency, The University of Tokyo and Kyushu University is close to completing the genome sequence of the bluefin tuna to unravel the secrets of the chemical building blocks of the fish and expects to be able to start a breeding program next year.
“We have already completed two computer sequencing runs and have around 60 per cent of the tuna genome,†said Dr. Kazumasa Ikuta, director of research at the Yokohama-based Fisheries Research Agency.
“We expect to have the entire sequence in the next couple of months.â€
“We plan to use the sequence to establish a breeding program for bluefin tuna as most aquaculture farmers presently use wild juveniles,†he said. “We want to establish a complete aquaculture system that will produce fish that have good strength, are resistant to disease, grow quickly and taste delicious.â€
