Purple-colored shell individuals were discovered among normal green-colored shell individuals in artificial seed of Pacific abalone, Haliotis discus hannai, reared on an ordinary type of diatom and artificial diet. In the present study, factorial mating experiments were designed to clarify the genetic control of the variant (purple type) and normal (green type) of shell color. The parental population of purple type and green type individuals were derived from a single family between a female and male of each type of coloration. The all mating families were reared in same tank for the same breed environment. The individual of 4 type families were distinguished by paternity test using microsatellite DNA. In factorial mating experiments, all individuals offspring of GG (green type female and green type male), GP (green type female and purple type male) and PG (purple type female and green type male) mating types appeared to green type. In only PP (purple type female and purple type male) mating type, all individuals offspring appeared to purple type. The results suggested that the purple shell color is controlled by recessive purple type allele and a dominant green type allele at a single locus.
