Transcriptome sequencing and de novo analysis for noble scallop Chlamys nobilis using 454 GS FLX

The noble scallop Chlamys nobilis Reeve is an important aquaculture species and displays polymorphism both in shell color with orange, orange-purple, brown, white, etc., and in muscle color including orange and white. Previous research showed that orange scallops with orange shell and orange muscle had significantly higher carotenoid content than brown ones. Transcriptome sequencing for orange strains or brown strains were performed and comparied.