With the strong support of programs including Jiangsu Agricultural Science and Technology Independent Innovation Project, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Plant Species Resource Protection Project, the central-level basic scientific research business fee, and major scientific and technological projects in Fuyang City, etc., FFRC has made breakthroughs in the key technology for full artificial breeding of the rare edible shellfish—Solenaia oleivora.
Solenaia oleivora is one of only three living species of genus Solenaia in China, and it is a unique Chinese freshwater economic shellfish. Solenaia oleivora has been widely distributed in China's five freshwater lakes, including tributary of the Yangtze River, the Huai River and connected rivers. In the past 40 years, due to the impact of water pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing and the decline of host fish resources, the natural resources of Solenaia oleivora has declined sharply and threatened or close to endangered.
In view of the decline of natural resources and the important economic value of Solenaia oleivora in China, under the lead organization of Dr. Xu Pao, FFRC Director General, the Huaihe River Basin Fishery Resources Management Office and the Huaihe Basin Fisheries Ecological Protection Research Center coordinated related research laboratories and departments jointly devoted to relevent technical research, and after more than three years, the key bottlenecks of artificial breeding of Solenaia oleivora were solved. In 2020, the F1 generation of Solenaia oleivora from artificial breeding reached sexual maturity, and F2 generation seedlings successfully obtained, which marks that China has achieved the key technology for the total artificial breeding of Solenaia oleivora.
（Translated by ZHONG Chunyi）
