title: GERMPLASM BANKING AND ITS ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FISH GENETIC IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME IN BRAZIL.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last ten years, Brazilian fish farming has become more focused, resulting in the development of genetic improvement programmes (GIP) for two South American species Colossoma macropomum (tambaqui) and Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum (cachara).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the action plan used for setting up the GIP and to detail the germplasm bank composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen of both species was collected, frozen and transported between locations in Brazil. To start the programme, full and half-sib families of both species were established from 120 males and 60 females.
  
  
  RESULTS
  New species-specific protocols for semen cryopreservation s were established of value to commercial application in fish farming.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Germplasm banking has enabled the exchange of biological material and reduced the overall GIP costs. Germplasm banking can be very important to the dissemination of the selected genetic material of these species among fish farmers.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Department of Animal Science, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Streit
authors.affiliation: Genetic Fish Rise, Sorriso, Brazil.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Fornari
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul - UFMS, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Campo Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Povh
authors.affiliation: Aquaculture Graduate Program, Nilton Lins University/INPA, Manaus, Brazil.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Department of Animal Science, Porto Alegre, Brazil. fernandade.mello@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.affiliation: Maringa State University - UEM, Department of Animal Science, Maringa, Brazil.
authors.forename: C A L
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: EMBRAPA-CNPAP, Corumba, Brazil.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.affiliation: Maringa State University - UEM, Department of Animal Science, Maringa, Brazil.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods*; D002397:Catfishes / Q000502:physiology*; D060125:Characiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen