Lanhai Marine Successfully Breeds Rare Choerodon schoenleinii
Significant Progress Achieved in Key Technologies for Artificial Domestication and Breeding of Choerodon schoenleinii by Lanhai Marine and Research Team from the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute
Recently, Guangdong Lanhai Marine Technology Co., Ltd., in collaboration with the team led by Associate Researcher Yue Yanfeng from the Hainan Qionghai Experimental Base of the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, achieved a major milestone in research on key technologies for the artificial domestication and breeding of Choerodon schoenleinii (commonly known as Pig-toothed Parrotfish). Wild broodstock have now been successfully domesticated and stably survived in captivity, and the first generation of juvenile fish has been successfully bred. Currently, the fry are growing well, marking a critical step forward for China in the artificial breeding of this rare species.
Choerodon schoenleinii, one of the “Four Great Fish Kings of Hong Kong,” belongs to the family Labridae and genus Choerodon. It is highly valued both as a delicacy and an ornamental fish. Its flesh is tender and firm, while its head is rich in collagen. The species enjoys strong market demand and high economic value. For a long time, the species has relied on wild capture, and artificial breeding has been technically challenging. Large-scale breeding has remained largely undeveloped, highlighting a stark conflict between resource conservation and market supply.
Facing these technical challenges, Lanhai Marine and the research team worked collaboratively, focusing on critical stages including wild broodstock domestication, broodstock cultivation, artificial induction of spawning, and juvenile fish rearing. They overcame multiple key technical bottlenecks and successfully achieved the first generation of artificially bred Choerodon schoenleinii, filling a stage-specific gap in large-scale artificial breeding techniques for this species.
This successful breeding represents another milestone for Lanhai Marine in the field of innovative marine ornamental fish cultivation. As the president unit of the Marine Ornamental Organisms Branch of the China Fisheries Association and the Guangzhou Fisheries Association, the company has been deeply engaged in marine biological trade and breeding for over forty years. It has established close industry-academia-research partnerships with the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Sanya Marine Research Institute of Ocean University of China, and the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences. Together, they have continuously tackled the breeding challenges of rare species such as giant clams, blue tangs, foxfish, and groupers, consistently breaking foreign technology monopolies and strengthening China’s “core” of marine biological resources.
Looking ahead, Lanhai Marine will continue to deepen innovation in marine biological breeding, advance collaborative research across industry, academia, and research institutes, and keep breaking barriers in artificial breeding technologies for rare marine fish. Through technological innovation, the company aims to protect marine ecosystems, empower industrial upgrading, and contribute to the high-quality development of China’s marine fisheries.
