PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Wanchang Zhang
AU  - Hongru Wang
AU  - Débora Y. C. Brandt
AU  - Beijuan Hu
AU  - Junqing Sheng
AU  - Mengnan Wang
AU  - Haijiang Luo
AU  - Shujie Guo
AU  - Bin Sheng
AU  - Qi Zeng
AU  - Kou Peng
AU  - Daxian Zhao
AU  - Shaoqing Jian
AU  - Di Wu
AU  - Junhua Wang
AU  - Joep H. M. van Esch
AU  - Wentian Shi
AU  - Jun Ren
AU  - Rasmus Nielsen
AU  - Yijiang Hong
TI  - The genetic architecture of phenotypic diversity in the betta fish (<em>Betta splendens</em>)
AID  - 10.1101/2021.05.10.443352
DP  - 2021 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2021.05.10.443352
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/10/2021.05.10.443352.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/10/2021.05.10.443352.full
AB  - The Betta fish displays a remarkable variety of phenotypes selected during domestication. However, the genetic basis underlying these traits remain largely unexplored. Here, we report a high-quality genome assembly and re-sequencing of 727 individuals representing diverse morphologies of the betta fish. We show that current breeds have a complex domestication history with extensive introgression with wild species. Using GWAS, we identify the genetic basis of multiple traits, including several coloration phenotypes, sex-determination which we map to DMRT1, and the long-fin phenotype which maps to KCNJ15. We identify a polygenic signal related to aggression with many similarities to human psychiatric traits, involving genes such as CACNB2 and DISC1. Our study provides a resource for developing the Betta fish as a genetic model for morphology and behavior in vertebrates.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.