Genetic Structure of Different Cultured Populations of the Pacific AbaloneHaliotis discus hannaiIno Inferred from Microsatellite Markers

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai is one of the most important species of shellfish aquaculture. The annual production of cultured abalone exceeded 100,000 t in 2013, and the Pacific abalone was the main farmed species. The genetic diversity of hatchery stocks of H. discus hannai in most areas of China, however, remains unknown. The exchange of Pacific abalone in China was not only among hatcheries but also between southern and northern areas, and the Japanese population was widely used for the production of seed. Both practices may have led to the production of mixed seeds, and the difference between populations may be not significant, which could result in inbreeding and loss of potentially valuable alleles. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the current genetic characterization of hatchery populations. For the analysis, a total of 10 populations were obtained from different hatcheries: Dalian, Qingdao, and Changdao in the northern coastal areas; and Xiapu, Lianjiang, Putian, Zhangpu, Ji...