Identification of quantitative trait loci for growth-related traits in the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino

The locations and effects of quantitative trait loci (QTL) were estimated for nine characters for growth-related traits in the Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino) using a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), amplification fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and SSR genetic linkage map. Twenty-eight putatively significant QTLs (LOD > 2.4) were detected for nine traits (shell length, shell width, total weight, shell weight, weight of soft part, muscle weight, gonad and digestive gland weight, mantle weight and gill weight). The percentage of phenotypic variation explained by a single QTL ranged from 8.0% to 35.9%. The significant correlations (P < 0.001) were found among all the growth-related traits, and Pearson's correlation coefficients were more than 0.81. For the female map, the QTL for growth were concentrated on groups 1 and 4 linkage maps. On the male map, the QTL that influenced growth-related traits gathered on the groups 1 and 9 linkage maps. Genetic linkage map construction and QTL analysis for growth-related traits are the basis for the marker-assisted selection and will eventually improve production and quality of the Pacific abalone.