Loss of genetic variation in hatchery‐produced abalone, Haliotis iris

Abstract

Genetic differences between samples of abalone seed produced in a hatchery and samples of corresponding wild abalone were tested by gel electrophoresis. There was a significant change in allele frequency, a loss of rare alleles, and a reduction in heterozygosity at a phosphoglucomutase locus between wild and hatchery samples. At a superoxide dismutase locus there was a loss of genetic variation, with samples of hatchery seed being fixed for the common wild allele. It is recommended that abalone hatcheries use an effective minimum of five males and five females to reduce the risk of losing genetic variation in the hatchery seed; in practice this translates into 10–13 males and 25–50 females in the spawning tanks.

Keywords:

• abalone
• Haliotis iris
• gel electrophoresis
• loss of genetic variation