Quick Definition
Mature adult fish kept for breeding purposes in a hatchery or aquaculture facility to produce fertilised eggs for production.
📖 Full Definition
Broodstock are sexually mature fish maintained in captivity specifically for reproductive purposes. They are the genetic foundation of aquaculture production. Broodstock management encompasses: selection (for growth rate, disease resistance, feed efficiency, flesh quality), conditioning (nutrition and photoperiod manipulation to synchronise spawning), spawning (natural pair spawning or artificial stripping of eggs and milt), and genetics (avoiding inbreeding, incorporating genetic gain from selective breeding programmes). The genetic quality of broodstock determines the production potential of all fish derived from them.
💡 Examples & Context
The Norwegian Atlantic salmon selective breeding programme (Aquagen, Salmobreed) has achieved approximately 15% improvement per generation in key production traits over 40+ years by careful genetic selection of broodstock.