Morphological Trait Correlations and Nutrient Compositions of the Japanese moon scallop Ylistrum japonicum in China

Abstract

The present study focuses on the scallop Ylistrum japonicum, a species with significant economic and ecological value, to evaluate its morphological traits and the nutritional composition of the adductor muscle. A total of 150 individuals were collected from the coastal area near Hailing Island, Guangdong Province, South of China. Measurements included shell length, width, height, wet weight, soft body weight, gonad weight, and adductor muscle weight. The study employed multiple regression analysis and path analysis to investigate the relationships between body size traits and quality traits. These results indicate a strong positive correlation among the morphological and weight-related traits, with some variation in the strength of correlation depending on gender. In the selective breeding of Y. japonicum, there should be a focus on indirectly improving weight traits by selecting for morphological traits, which serves as an important basis for selective breeding. Nutritional components of the adductor muscle were analyzed for moisture, ash, fat, protein, fatty acids and amino acids. The nutritional composition analysis of the adductor muscle provided insights into its protein, amino acid and fatty acid content, which are essential for evaluating the scallop as a food source. The study's findings contribute to the understanding of Y. japonicum's quality traits and nutritional value, laying a basis for the development of selective breeding strategies aimed at boosting the species' aquaculture potential.