Developing a genomic selection breeding program for complex pearl colour traits within the silver-lipped pearl oyster

Selective breeding within the pearling industry is heavily confounded by the complexity of production traits and the ability to accurately measure these phenotypes. Pearls are produced by implanting a nucleus along with a small piece of donor tissue from a sacrificed oyster into a host oyster. Unravelling trait architecture for these complex pearl quality traits is integral if genomic selection is to be implemented into established selective breeding programs. By combining simulated and exploratory datasets, this study uses genome-wide loci to better understand the genetic architecture of pearl colour which provides insights into the optimal design and implementation for a genomic selection breeding program within the pearling industry