Xelect designs and manages world-class breeding programmes tailored to your species, goals, and environment. Our science-led approach delivers measurable genetic progress, helping producers achieve faster growth, greater resilience, and long-term sustainability.
How our programmes work
You choose the traits that deliver the best commercial returns (whether improved growth, reduced FCR, higher meat yield, increased survival, greater disease resistance or higher flesh quality) and we select high performing individuals that deliver the gains you need. The performance of our breeding programmes is world leading, and our case studies speak for themselves.
Dedicated support from our expert team
Working with Xelect is like having access to your own dedicated genetics department. You’ll have a dedicated Programme Manager (a highly qualified aquaculture genetics specialist), regular progress reports and visits from our expert team to help you design and operate a world-class genetic selection programme.
Protect and nurture your broodstock
Your broodstock is the heart of your business, and is the source of all future growth in your production. Our breeding programmes help you maximise the genetic potential of your broodstock, whilst avoiding the risks of inbreeding.
Scale your production
Our leading genetics software delivers optimal mating plans for the genetic nucleus and multiplier broodstock. The use of carefully selected “multiplier” groups boosts commercial returns in each generation and enables production to be scaled to any desired level.
Gains in the breeding population are cumulative, which means that you should see further improvements every single generation and can quickly pull ahead of your competitors.
A seven-year strategic partnership between aquaculture genetics specialist Xelect and premium Mediterranean fish producer Cromaris has yielded unprecedented improvements in bass and bream production through advanced selective breeding.
Genomic selection
Genomic selection is typically considered the “gold standard” for aquaculture genetics. Using high numbers of genetic ‘markers’ located throughout the genome we can predict with extremely high levels of accuracy which fish or shellfish are likely to give you the highest performance.
Pedigree selection
By combining analysis of the genetic relatedness and the physical appearance of individuals and families we can accurately assess their genetic value for your programme, leading to more accurate selection, and faster genetic improvements. This is a simple, but sustainable way of managing your programme.
Mass selection
Simply selecting individual animals on measurable traits (called “phenotypes”) can be an appropriate way to get genetic gains for smaller producers. However the appearance of a fish alone is not an accurate indicator of its genetic value and this approach can even lead to major complications with in-breeding, without expert guidance from a genetics partner.
Dr Lidia de los Ríos Pérez leads our breeding programme division, bringing deep expertise in aquaculture genetics and a collaborative approach to client success.
“We work closely with each client to build programmes that deliver real-world impact—scientifically sound, commercially valuable, and fully customised.”
– Dr Lidia de los Ríos Pérez, Head of Breeding Programmes
Specialist genetics support to the global aquaculture industry
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