Genetic Diversity and Differentiation of Yesso Scallop Reveal Implications for Aquaculture

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the Ocean University of China have conducted a study on the genetic diversity and differentiation of the yesso scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) in relation to its wild counterparts in the cultivation area. The study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity and differentiation of cultured stocks in relation to the wild counterparts and assess the genetic status during long-term aquaculture of M. yessoensis in Dalian. The results revealed that the yesso scallop exhibits low genetic diversity and heterozygosity, as well as weak genetic differentiation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that the yesso scallop exhibits low genetic diversity and heterozygosity, indicating a potential risk to its long-term sustainability in aquaculture.
  • The results revealed weak genetic differentiation between cultured and wild stocks, suggesting that the genetic diversity of M. yessoensis may have been affected by limited brood stocks.
  • The study detected a total of 15,064,530 SNPs with high quality using whole genome resequencing.
  • The small effective population size (Ne) suggests that M. yessoensis may have been affected by genetic drift and exhibiting signs of inbreeding depression.
  • The findings provide valuable insights into the current genomic resources for M. yessoensis and hold practical implications for scallop aquaculture.
  • The study was conducted by researchers from the Ocean University of China, led by Shikai Liu, with contributions from Xinyi He, Shuo Wang, Weiming Teng, and 10 other authors.

Statistics:

  • 15,064,530 SNPs were detected with high quality using whole genome resequencing.
  • The effective population size (Ne) was found to be small, indicating a potential risk to the long-term sustainability of M. yessoensis in aquaculture.
  • The study analyzed six M. yessoensis stocks in Dalian over the past decade.

Sources:

  • Genetic diversity and differentiation of cultured and wild yesso scallop (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) from China revealed by whole genome resequencing. Aquaculture Reports, 2025,43():102901. (Aquaculture Reports - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/aquaculture-reports/).
  • The publisher for Aquaculture Reports is Elsevier.
  • A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.aqrep.2025.102901.