| Summary: | <i>Haliotis gigantea</i>, a commercially cultivated abalone in China, predominantly displays the pale-yellow-footed trait. However, a limited occurrence of the orange-footed muscle trait makes it a valuable candidate for breeding programs. In our research, we examined the inheritance pattern of the orange-footed trait and conducted a 90-day feeding trial for <i>H. gigantea</i> to compare the influence of formulated feed and macroalgae on pigment enrichment and growth rates. Our results suggest that the orange-footed trait has a recessive nature relative to its common counterpart and demonstrates stable inheritance. We also identified a significant correlation between color-difference values (a*) and total carotenoid content (TCC) (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.955, <i>p</i> < 0.05), suggesting the TCC in abalone foot muscle can be estimated using the a* value. Furthermore, introducing carotenoids to formulated feed imparts an orange hue to the foot muscle, but this effect is inferior compared to using <i>Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis</i> with a similar carotenoid content. This suggests that <i>H. gigantea</i> has a higher absorption efficiency for the carotenoids from the macroalgae <i>G. lemaneiformis</i> compared to formulated feed. Growth assessments indicate that the formulated feed, enriched with higher crude protein than <i>G. lemaneiformis</i>, optimally supports <i>H. gigantea</i> growth. Our findings furnish valuable insights that could steer breeding strategies and feeding practices towards achieving the orange-footed muscle trait in <i>H. gigantea</i>.
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