Efficient Artificial Breeding Technology for the Chinese Giant Salamander Successfully Passes Appraisal by the Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Commission

The Chinese giant salamander is a rare and protected species endemic to China, with exceptional nutritional value, medicinal value and health benefits. Chinese giant salamander farming has advantages unmatched by other farming industries, with great economic returns and good market prospects. Conservatively estimated annual demand exceeds 10,000 tonnes, while current annual output is about 800 tonnes, resulting in a sharp imbalance between supply and demand. The bottleneck in the development of the Chinese giant salamander industry lies in the immaturity of existing breeding technologies. Chinese giant salamander breeding is mostly imitative-ecological breeding, with egg-laying rates usually 10-30%; most parent salamanders do not participate in reproduction, and the reproduction rate is relatively low. Although artificial breeding achieves an oxytocin-induced spawning rate above 40%, the fertilization rate and hatching rate are generally below 45%, the survival rate of salamander fry is often below 70%, and the reproduction rate is also relatively low. Accelerating the upgrading of Chinese giant salamander breeding technology has become very important and urgent. Professor Ding Shihua of the Department of Fisheries, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, and Associate Professor Sun Hanchang of Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences developed efficient artificial breeding technology and Chinese giant salamander disease prevention and control technology, which passed the scientific and technological achievement appraisal by the Chongqing Municipal Science and Technology Commission in January 2013, with the overall level appraised as domestically leading, and the achievement registration number Yu Ke Cheng Zi 2013Y053.

The features of this achievement are as follows:

1. Unique parent salamander cultivation technology.

A unique nutritional formula ensures the special nutrition required by the gonads, and an original Chinese herbal preparation promotes gonadal development; it overcomes the technical difficulties of low sperm and egg quality and asynchronous gonadal development. The normal egg rate can reach over 95%, and sperm motility reaches over 55%, far superior to ordinary Chinese giant salamander breeding technology, greatly improving the reproductive capacity of the Chinese giant salamander.

2. Advanced artificial breeding technology.

Accurate determination of the timing of oxytocin-induced spawning ensures the effectiveness of induced spawning; improved artificial insemination methods ensure egg fertilization; optimized artificial incubation methods promote the smooth hatching of fertilized eggs. The induced spawning rate, fertilization rate and hatching rate all reach over 90%, superior to ordinary breeding technology;

3. Advanced fry cultivation technology.

Methods for cultivating palatable live prey organisms have been established to promote fry growth; the survival rate of salamander fry is greater than 90%, with excellent cultivation results, far superior to ordinary Chinese giant salamander breeding technology.

4. Pollution-free Chinese herbal prevention and control technology.

Multiple Chinese herbal formulas have been developed, with a prevention rate greater than 90% against common salamander diseases and a cure rate of 80%;

This Chinese giant salamander research team has long been engaged in research on Chinese giant salamander breeding, farming and salamander disease prevention and control. The technologies developed also include imitative-ecological breeding technology for the Chinese giant salamander, imitative-ecological farming technology, indoor three-dimensional temperature control technology for Chinese giant salamander farming, live prey organism cultivation technology, and industrialized Chinese giant salamander farming technology, among others. The team has rich experience in Chinese giant salamander research and strong research and development capabilities.

Native to southeastern Chongqing, the Chinese giant salamander is a precious, high-quality germplasm source

Brightly colored, golden yellow or brownish red, with smooth markings and exquisite patterns on the body surface, highly ornamental, and with good quality, fast growth and strong disease resistance

Efficient artificial breeding of the Chinese giant salamander

Developing Chinese giant salamander embryos(In most cases only part of the embryo can be observed; in a few cases the entire side of the embryo can be observed)

Artificially bred salamander fry

Certificate of Research Achievement for Key Technologies in Efficient Artificial Breeding and Disease Prevention and Control of the Chinese Giant Salamander