Haimei Wang , Wenying Hong

Hainan Tropical Agricultural Resources Research Institute, Tropical Bioresources Research Center, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 1   doi: 10.5376/ija.2025.15.0004
Received: 22 Jan., 2025    Accepted: 23 Feb., 2025    Published: 28 Feb., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Wang H.M., and Hong W.Y., 2025, Genetic regulatory mechanisms of muscle growth and flesh quality in Oxyeleotris marmorata, International Journal of Aquaculture, 15(1): 29-36 (doi: 10.5376/ija.2025.15.0004)

Oxyeleotris marmorata, commonly known as the marbled sleeper or bamboo fish, is a high-value tropical freshwater species appreciated for its superior flesh quality and nutritional value. Despite increasing production, the long breeding cycle and slow growth rate hinder its industrial development. This review systematically summarizes the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying muscle growth and flesh quality traits in O. marmorata, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for genetic improvement. Key topics include muscle development stages, fiber types and composition, regulatory pathways such as the GH/IGF axis and myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), as well as roles of non-coding RNAs. The paper also explores genes related to intramuscular fat deposition, collagen synthesis, and flavor-related metabolism. Advances in omics technologies, QTL/GWAS findings, environmental and nutritional influences, and breeding strategies like MAS and CRISPR-based gene editing are also discussed. This review provides comprehensive insights into improving growth performance and meat quality through molecular breeding approaches.

Oxyeleotris marmorata; Muscle growth; Flesh quality; Genetic regulation; Non-coding RNA