Updated project metadata. Boihai Red is new strains of inter-specific hybridizing the bay scallop (Argopecten irradians irradians) with the Peruvian scallop (Argopecten purpuratus). Orange color variant of adductor muscle have been developed through successive selective breeding in this strain. In the present study,proteomic were conducted on orange and white adductor muscle tissues.Notably, 74 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified by lable free proteomics, including 36 up and 38 down regulated. In DEGs, apolipophorin, CYP450 and tyrosinase were expressed highly in orange adductor muscle tissues, which related to carotenoids or melanin. In DEPs, high expression of VPS and TIF in orange adductor muscle tissues indicated that proteins outside the carotenoid pathway might also affect carotenoid biosynthesis. In addition, RAB11A related to melanin was also expressed highly in orange adductor muscle tissues at protein level. It is probable that not only carotenoids, but also melanin act on orange color of adductor muscle. This study provides valuable genetic resources for understanding underlying mechanisms and pathways of adductor muscle color.