A fish geneticist's work profile includes working with water animals in quantitative genetics (i.e. selection, genetic variance, heritability), chromosome ploidy manipulation (i.e. polyploidysation, gynogenesis, androgenesis, sex reversal) and allozyme genetics (i.e. allelic diversity, genetic differentiation, genetic markers of species, lines, hybrids)
Typical Work Activities
Typically a Fish Geneticist's work activities will cover the following areas:
Selection of fish for controlled reproduction of commercial stocks,
Producing new lines (i.e. family, sub-family) of cultured species,
Recognition of genetic diversity (homogeneity, heterogeneity) in cultured lines and wild populations,
Recognition of genetic markers for inter-species and inter-lines hybrids
Creating gene banks
Work conditions
Range of typical starting salaries:
400 Euro (0,7 average salary)
Range of typical management salaries
1000 Euro (1,7 average salary)
Working hours
typically 40 hrs per week, unlimited, if necessary
Mobility in industry
Mobility in the industry is rather low. In Poland, in most cases fish farms offer an apartment as part of the payment scheme, which often serves as a good reason for a specialist to stay on working in the farm. Relatively high unemployment in Poland also reduces the ease of possibility of finding a new job.
Permanent or temporary work available
Typically, permanent work is available as most fish farms apply selective breeding of commercial fish species and/or selection during production of stocking material. Other techniques, i.e. cryopreservation, polyploidisation, sex control or gene\genome manipulations are mostly applied on an experimental scale or for scientific purposes.
A student will usually undertake a term of practical work experience in a leading fish farm (lake fishery, pond fishery, hatchery and intensive rearing system) as part of his/her degree programme. Some universities provide courses on the application of new equipment and methodologies in aquaculture, and on the protection of fish species. Leading manufacturers of equipment and chemicals may sponsor some of the courses.
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