This study describes the shell color polymorphism and its correspondent metabolic activities in hatchery-reared Pinctada maxima juveniles. Analysis of color distances assessed the similarities among the different phenotypes (Ph); from the most common Ph-1 (gray), Ph-2 (bronze), Ph-3 (white), Ph-4 (brown), Ph-5 (green), Ph-6 (purple), and Ph-7 (yellow). Yellow-colored shells (Ph-7) were found less unrelated to the other colored shells and also exhibited higher enzymatic activity; particularly in enzymes that have been linked to yellow or golden shell color in different bivalves. By contrast, green-colored shells (Ph-5) exhibited comparatively higher levels of enzymes (e.g. tyrosinase, superoxide dismutase) known to promote fast growth in various organisms, which is consistent considering that green-colored shells also exhibited the largest biometric values. These findings open the possibility to use shell color as a reliable indicator to breed high-quality P. maxima pearl oysters.

本研究描述了孵化场饲养的大珠母贝的壳色多态性及其相应的代谢活动少年。颜色距离分析评估了不同表型（Ph）之间的相似性；从最常见的 Ph-1（灰色）、Ph-2（青铜）、Ph-3（白色）、Ph-4（棕色）、Ph-5（绿色）、Ph-6（紫色）和 Ph-7 （黄色的）。黄色贝壳 (Ph-7) 与其他颜色的贝壳不太相关，也表现出更高的酶活性；特别是在与不同双壳类动物的黄色或金色外壳颜色相关的酶中。相比之下，绿色贝壳（Ph-5）表现出相对较高水平的酶（例如酪氨酸酶、超氧化物歧化酶），已知这些酶可促进各种生物体的快速生长，考虑到绿色贝壳也表现出最大的生物特征值，这与此一致。这些发现开启了使用贝壳颜色作为可靠指标来培育高质量的可能性P. maxima珍珠牡蛎。