Mandarin Fish Culture: Status and Development Prospects

China has continued to lead global aquaculture production over the last few decades, and its freshwater aquaculture sector has remained a cornerstone of global aquaculture. The fish is generally considered to be important as a top order predator in aquatic ecosystems, and it has important significance for regulating the structure of the food web and maintaining ecosystem balance. Experimentation on mandarin fish culture began in 1958. Juvenile mandarin fish were captured from lakes and or rivers and reared in small ponds at that time. The key techniques of mandarin fish culture in ponds include environmental conditions, stocking parameters, and daily management techniques. Mandarin fish culture in cages was first reported in 1988 in the Fuqiaohe Reservoir in Hubei province. Intensive pond culture is the dominant practice of mandarin fish culture in China due to the availability of ponds, a short culture period, low infrastructural investment, and high economic benefits compared to cage and lake practices.