Laboratory Cultivation of Coregonus ussuriensis Berg: A Comprehensive Study on Rearing from Egg to Adult Stage

Conservation aquaculture aids in restoring and rebuilding populations of endangered species through artificial breeding. The Ussuri cisco (Coregonus ussuriensis Berg) is a valuable fish species in China, known for its high nutritional value. However, its current yield heavily relies on fishing, leading to a rapid decline in wild populations. This study documents the successful artificial breeding of C. ussuriensis and provides a comprehensive description of its life cycle. We performed in situ gamete stripping followed by manual fertilization. Fertilized eggs were incubated at the Bohai cold-water fish experimental station in Mudanjiang, China, where seed breeding and parental fish farming were conducted. Under controlled conditions, we obtained around 110,000 fertilized eggs. After a 2-month incubation period, we obtained around 50,000 oviparous eggs with an eyed rate of 45.5%. Additionally, we observed over 30,000 larvae with a hatching rate of 60%. We produced 20,000 juvenile fish weighing 30 g after 1 year. This procedure facilitates the successful completion of the C. ussuriensis life cycle in aquaculture, aiding in the species’ recovery.