The genetic diversity of the noble scallop (Chlamys nobilis, Reeve 1852) in China assessed using five microsatellite markers

Five highly variable microsatellite loci were used to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of the noble scallop Chlamys nobilis, in the South China Sea. A total of 200 individual scallops from 4 populations were genotyped. All of the 5 microsatellite loci screened in this study showed polymorphism. A total of 32 different alleles were observed over all loci. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 12. The average allelic number of these polymorphic markers was 6.4. The averages of observed (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) ranged from 0.07 to 0.32 and from 0.119 to 0.459, respectively. A highly significant deviation from the Hardy–Weinberg Law, owing primarily to heterozygote deficiency, was found in all populations studied. The Nanao population exhibited more genetic diversity than the other three populations in terms of allele richness and observed and expected heterozygosity.