An external skeleton is an essential part of the body plan of many animals and is thought to
be one of the key factors that enabled the great expansion in animal diversity and disparity …

Comparative immunology, studying both vertebrates and invertebrates, provided the earliest
descriptions of phagocytosis as a general immune mechanism. However, the large scale of …

Background Shell color polymorphisms of Mollusca have contributed to development of
evolutionary biology and population genetics, while the genetic bases and molecular …

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in diverse biological processes and
have drawn extensive attention in the past few years. However, lncRNAs remain poorly …

The shell color polymorphism widely exists in economic shellfish, which not only results in a
better visual perception but also shows great value as an economic trait for breeding. Small …

Bivalve mollusks have fascinatingly diverse modes of reproduction. However, research
investigating sex determination and reproductive regulation in this group of animals is still in …

The recently developed 2b-restriction site-associated DNA (2b-RAD) sequencing method
provides a cost-effective and flexible genotyping platform for aquaculture species lacking …

Recent technical innovations are revealing surprising patterns in mollusc shell pigmentation,
such as an unexpectedly modest role for melanins and rapid divergences in the mix of …

Ruditapes philippinarum is an important marine bivalve species. In this study, we conducted
the RNA-seq of four different shell color strains of the R. philippinarum and investigated the …

The body color of Neocaridina denticulate sinensis is a compelling phenotypic trait, in which
a cascade of carotenoid metabolic processes plays an important role. The study was …