IntroductionIn aquatic animals, colors not only reflect their sensory qualities but also affect their nutritional components and market price. Noble scallop Chlamys nobilis is an importantly economical bivalve cultured in the south sea of China and renowned for its various shell colors.MethodsIn this study, the nutrient compositions were compared among golden, yellow, and brown shell colour noble scallops originating from the same population for breeding new varieties.ResultsAmong three colour scallops, there is no significant difference in the content of moisture, ash, and total protein content (TPC) but significant differences in total carotenoid content (TCC), total lipid content (TLC), and amino acids (AAs) (P < 0.05), with the TCC of the brown scallop being about 2 times lower. The yellow scallop contained the same nutrients as TCC, TLC, ∑PUFAs (including EPA and DHA), and n-3/n-6 as the golden scallop, and both were significantly higher than the brown scallop (P < 0.05), but they had significantly lower ∑SFAs than the latter (P < 0.05). The correlation between the nutrient indices and the shell color of scallops was 67.5%. There is a significantly positive correlation between TCC and ∑PUFAs (P < 0.05), while a significantly negative correlation exists between TCC and ∑SFAs (P < 0.05). More importantly, the yellow scallop had significantly higher EAAs and FAAs than the golden scallop (P < 0.05).DiscussionThis study showed that the yellow noble scallop not only enriched in carotenoids and PUFAs but also enriched in amino acids. Therefore, the yellow scallop is more benefit to human health, which can provide high-quality food for customers.

中文翻译：

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三种不同壳色名贵扇贝Chlamys nobilis的营养成分比较，为消费者选择优质食品提供建议

简介对于水生动物来说，颜色不仅反映其感官品质，还影响其营养成分和市场价格。高贵扇贝栉孔扇贝是我国南海养殖的重要经济双壳类动物，以其多种贝色而闻名。方法本研究对同一种群的金、黄、褐贝色高贵扇贝进行营养成分比较，选育新品种。结果 3种颜色扇贝的水分、灰分、总蛋白含量（TPC）含量无显着性差异，而总类胡萝卜素含量（TCC）、总脂质含量（TLC）、氨基酸（AAs）含量差异显着（磷< 0.05），棕色扇贝的TCC大约低2倍。黄色扇贝的TCC、TLC、ΣPUFAs（包括EPA和DHA）、n-3/n-6等营养成分与金色扇贝相同，且均显着高于棕色扇贝（磷< 0.05），但它们的 ΣSFA 显着低于后者（磷< 0.05）。扇贝营养指标与贝壳颜色相关性达67.5%。 TCC 和 ΣPUFA 之间存在显着正相关性（磷< 0.05），而 TCC 和 ΣSFA 之间存在显着负相关（磷< 0.05）。更重要的是，黄色扇贝的 EAA 和 FAA 显着高于金色扇贝（磷< 0.05).讨论本研究表明，黄贵妃扇贝不仅富含类胡萝卜素和PUFA，而且还富含氨基酸。因此，黄扇贝更有利于人体健康，可以为顾客提供优质的食品。