Isolation and identification of the main carotenoid pigment from the rare orange muscle of the Yesso scallop

The Yesso scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) is one of the most important aquacultural scallops in the north of China. We identified a rare colour variant that occurs in about 0.2% of the natural population. Orange variants have not been reported before in shellfish, including scallops. Identification of the molecular basis of this colour variation will provide guidance when developing a breeding plan for these scallops. The main pigment was isolated from the muscle tissues of the variant Yesso scallop by silica gel column chromatography, and was characterised by mass spectrometry and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance methods. Its structure was identified as that of pectenolone (3,3′-dihydroxy-β,β-caroten-4–one). This is the first report of pectenolone, a type of carotenoid, in the muscle of the Yesso scallop.