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Phenotypic and genetic parameters of body and compositional traits were estimated for a population consisting of 327 two-year-old Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), from 21 full-sib groups. Heritability estimates for body traits, such as fork length, gutted weight, condition factor and visceral weight, were all of intermediate magnitude (0-24-0-45). Heritabilities for carcass component traits, e.g. fat, protein, dry matter and astaxanthin contents, were low to medium (0-0-0-28). Genetic and phenotypic correlations were high between astaxanthin content and body traits, whereas they were medium to low between asta.xanthin content and carcass compositional traits such as fat, dry matter and protein contents. The genetic variation in fat and dry matter contents was closely associated with variation in body weight. Selection for higher body weight at 2 years will probably lead to small, but positive, correlated changes in fat content. Our findings suggest that it should be possible to select for higher astaxanthin content in Artie charr to improve their flesh coloration.

A simple, fast and accurate method for making multicomponent analyses of fish meat using mid-infrared (IR) absorption technique is presented. Basically, the method involves dissolving fish meat in an alkaline detergent with a blender, forming a suspension that can be analysed with commercial milk infrared analysers. Various types and concentrations of detergents and two blending times were evaluated.The relative repeatabilities, expressed as the residual standard deviation in relation to the corresponding means, of the method were less than 0-5%, and relative accuracies were less than 2% for fat and total solids and less than 1% for protein. Possible ways to improve the method further are discussed.•present address:

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