1. Introduction
Farmed production of Atlantic salmon exceeds that of other
farmed salmonids with a total supply of two million tonnes in
2013 (Giskeødegård & Tønnesen, 2014). Atlantic salmon has been
subjected to intensive genetic selection for rapid growth since
the 1970’s, and it is indisputable that artificial selection has played
a major role in the success of the salmon aquaculture industry
(Bentsen & Thodesen, 2005). According toGjedrem (2010), the estimated genetic gain for growth rate has been approximately 14%
per generation, with a benefit/cost ratio estimated at 15/1.
However, in the poultry industry, rapid muscle growth has been
associated with atrophy of fibres and loss of connective integrity
and soft texture.
Inadequate muscle firmness in salmon is a problem causing
quality downgrading by the processing industry and lower consumer acceptability (Mitchie, 2001), yet no studies have been
devoted to elucidate the impact of genetic selectionper seon
connective tissue properties in farmed salmon. Farmer,
McConnell, and Kilpatrick (2000)reported that farmed salmon
tend to be softer than salmon from wild sources. Johnston