Page 113 - 《水产学报》2025年第8期

林悦彤，等 水产学报, 2025, 49(8): 089310

environmental selective pressures. This study provides insight for future genetic enhancement programs aimed at improving
byssus attachment in M. coruscus.
Key words: Mytilus coruscus; microsatellite; genetic diversity; genetic structure; byssal phenotype
Corresponding authors: LI Yifeng. E-mail: yifengli@shou.edu.cn;
LU Xia. E-mail: luxia@ytu.edu.cn
Funding projects: National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2401700); National Natural Science
Foundation of China (32172992)

Mussels, as primary constituents of temperate widely distributed and capable of adapting to
rocky shore ecosystems, exert significant ecolo- diverse environments. The genetic variations that
gical influence and are pivotal economic aquacul- may arise during their adaptation to different habit-
[1]
ture species cultured worldwide . Their nutritional ats could influence the attachment performance of
richness, particularly in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty their byssal threads. These variations may result in
acids (PUFA), contributes to their esteemed status differences in the physical properties and structural
[2]
as a valuable seafood commodity . Mussels are composition of the byssus, which in turn affect the
easy to cultivate because of their rapid growth, high strength and durability of the attachment. Under-
reproductive capacity, and strong adaptability. standing how genetic variation shapes the byssal
According to FAO, global aquaculture production properties at different latitudes is crucial for com-
of mussels reached approximately 1.9 million tons prehending mussel byssus attachment performance
[3]
in 2022 , with China alone producing 771.2 thou- across diverse habitats.
[4]
sand tons . The hard-shelled mussel Mytilus corus- Molecular markers are important tools to
cus, a warm-water bivalve species native to the sea- study genetic variation among populations in
[12]
coasts of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea aquaculture . Microsatellite or simple sequence
[5]
in East Asia , is among the main species cultivated repeat (SSR) markers have been widely used as
in coastal areas of China. In China, Shengsi County popular molecular tools in population genetics ana-
in Zhejiang Province is particularly noted as a major lyses due to their high polymorphism, high muta-
production area for M. coruscus [1,5] . A significant tion rates and codominance, abundant across the
[13]
challenge faced by suspension-cultured mussels is genome . In recent years, microsatellite markers
the high incidence of mussel fall-off from cultiva- have been applied to analyze the genetic diversity
tion ropes, adversely impacting harvest yields. The and structure of bivalve species, including Meretrix
[15]
[14]
fall-off events have been documented at commer- petechialis , M. edulis , Crassostrea nippona [16]
[17]
cial mussel farms worldwide, spanning regions and C. gigas .
including the United Kingdom, the United States of This study aims to investigate the relationship
America, Canada, Spain, New Zealand and China [1,6-9] . between byssus phenotype and the genetic structure
Byssus is an important attachment structure of M. coruscus across diverse geographic popula-
for marine mussels, enabling them to adhere to tions using microsatellite markers. Polymorphic
diverse substrates and withstand the force of waves microsatellite markers employed in the present
[10]
and currents . Attachment strength, determined by study for the genetic analysis of the wild mussel
the byssus' physical properties and quantity, is from three geographical populations were previ-
[18]
[11]
pivotal for mussel adhesion . Weakness in byssal ously identified . We examined various pheno-
thread attachment is a primary factor leading to typic characteristics of the byssal threads, including
[6]
mussel detachment from ropes . Mussels are byssal thread diameter, byssal breaking force and
https://www.china-fishery.cn 中国水产学会主办 sponsored by China Society of Fisheries
2