In abalones, interspecific hybridization has been suggested as a possible means to increase production and desired traits for the industry. In Korea, Haliotis gigantea is considered a species with a larger size and higher temperature tolerance than H. discus hannai. However, H. discus hannai is considered the most valuable and popular fishery resource due to its better acceptance and higher market prices. Thus, viable interspecific hybrids have been produced by artificial inseminating H. gigantea eggs with H. discus hannai sperm. However, the reciprocal hybrid cross was not successful. In this study, the hybridity and the growth and thermal tolerance performance of the interspecific hybrids were examined. A combination of various assays revealed maximum growth occurrence at 21℃ and the higher growth rate in the hybrids than that of H. discus hannai parent. In addition, the growth and survival at high-temperature (28℃) of the hybrids was equivalent to that of the highly tolerant H. gigantea parent, suggesting new possibilities to overcome the mass mortality in H. discus hannai during high temperature periods of summer season in Korea. Furthermore, the induced interspecific hybrid status was confirmed by the presence of species-specific bands for each parental species of the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) profiles using universal rice primer (URP), which could be used as speciesspecific markers to distinguish the hybrids and their parental species.

Introduction
Materials and Methods
    1. Samples
    2. DNA extraction
    3. Genetic identification of the hybridity
    4. Effects of temperature on survival and growthof the hybrids
Results
    1. Genetic evidence for hybridisation
    2. Effects of temperature on survival and growthof hybrids
Discussion

• Hye Suck An(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea) Corresponding author
• Jong Won Han(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Hyun-Ju Hwang(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Hancheol Jeon(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Seung-Hyun Jung(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Seonmi Jo(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Tae-Young Choi(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Young Se Hyun(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Ha Yeun Song(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)
• Ilson Whang(Genetic Resources Research Department, National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), Chungchungnam-do 33662, Korea)