A fish named “Coco” is at the center of the first genome sequence for any catfish species.
Catfish is an important dietary protein source and is the third most commonly farmed fish worldwide. While more than 2,500 species of catfish are known to exist, the channel catfish dominates U.S. aquaculture, accounting for more than 60 percent of fish and seafood production. In 2015, production sales for U.S. catfish growers totaled $361 million, up 3 percent from the previous year, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Research at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit (WARU) in Stoneville, Mississippi, helps catfish producers improve the quality and quantity of their products. Recently, a team led by WARU molecular biologist Geoff Waldbieser and Auburn University scientist John Liu produced the first genome-sequence assembly for the channel catfish. It’s also the first for any type of catfish.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: AgResearch Magazine
