Since its introduction in 2001, genomic selection (GS) has progressed rapidly. As a research and application hot topic, GS has led to a revolution in the field of animal and plant breeding. Thanks to its ability to overcome the shortcomings of traditional breeding methods, GS has garnered increasing attention. Both theoretical and practical breeding studies have revealed the higher accuracy of GS than that of traditional breeding, which can accelerate genetic gain. In recent years, many GS studies have been conducted on aquaculture species, which have shown that GS produces higher prediction accuracy than traditional pedigree-based method. The present study reviews the principles and processes, preconditions, advantages, analytical methods and factors influencing GS as well as the progress of research in aquaculture into these aspects. Furthermore, future directions of GS in aquaculture are also discussed, which should expand its application to more aquaculture species.

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Sturgeons are ancient and endangered species whose populations have been greatly reduced over the past few centuries due to habitat destruction and overfishing for the production of expensive caviar. All sturgeon species are listed in CITES Appendix II to limit their trade; therefore, accurate species identification is crucial. In this study, we performed whole-genome resequencing of five sturgeon species, including Kaluga sturgeon (H. dauricus), Siberian sturgeon (A. baerii), Sterlet sturgeon (A. ruthenus), Russian sturgeon (A. gueldenstaedtii), and Amur sturgeon (A. schrenckii), to obtain species-specific InDel-based nucleotide sequences for Kaluga sturgeon. Through whole-genome screening within these five sturgeon species, we developed methods for the rapid identification of Kaluga sturgeon germplasm. Using dominant/co-dominant molecular markers designed for Huso dauricus, purebred or hybrid samples can be identified through a PCR reaction. These markers allow for the precise identification of Kaluga sturgeon lineages from at least seven sturgeon species (H. dauricus, A. schrenckii, A. ruthenus, A. baerii, A. gueldenstaedtii, A. stellatus, and H. huso) and their hybrids. This development is expected to have a positive effect on both the sturgeon trade and the conservation of sturgeon germplasm resources.