Correlation and path analysis of main economic traits of wild population of Trachycardium flavum

We analyzed 5 economic traits including 3 morphological traits (shell length, shell height and shell width) and 2 weight traits (body weight and edible-part weight) of 80 randomly selected wild Trachycardium flavum by path analysis and multiple regression analysis. Results show that the phenotype correlation coefficients among the 5 measured traits reach very significant level (P0.01). Shell length, shell height, shell width and edible-part weight have indirect effects on body weight but through mainly edible-part weight (0.704 8). With shell height excluded for its insignificant partial regression coefficient, we obtained the best multiple regression equation between body weight and shell length, shell width and edible-part weight. Among the morphological traits, shell width affects edible-part weight most with the direct correlation coefficient of 0.409 3. Shell length has indirect effect on edible-part weight through mainly shell width. Finally, we established the multiple regression equation between edible-part weight and shell length and shell weight with shell height excluded. The research provides theoretical basis for the germplasm resource protection and selective breeding of T.flavum.