Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle

Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle

The Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　 Qinzhou has a long history of breeding stone money turtles, accumulating mature expertise. Breeders leverage the abundance of low-value small fish along the local coastal and river areas, primarily using live fish and shrimp as natural feed. The resulting turtles are closer to natural ecological products. Over the years, the number of turtle breeders in Qinzhou has grown to over 10,000, with more than 700,000 turtles bred annually, generating an annual output value of over 300 million yuan. The turtle industry has become a pillar industry for local farmers to achieve prosperity. In 2011, they participated in a national turtle and tortoise competition, where Qinzhou stone money turtles won first and second prizes for males and second and third prizes for females, establishing their leading position in China's turtle industry.

　　The Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle, scientific name: Mauremys guangxiensis, originates from Qinzhou’s Shiwandashan and Liuwandashan mountains, as well as Vietnam. Individual weight: 1.8–5.2 lbs, with the largest specimen weighing 7.2 lbs. It won first prize in the Mauremys genus at the 2011 China Turtle and Tortoise Competition.

　　The Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle has a smooth, scale-free crown. Both juvenile and adult turtles exhibit an olive-yellowish-brown color with scattered black speckles. The eyes are black, with a small black dot on each side of the cornea, making the eye appear as a black line. The eyelid area is gray-green. There is a black stripe behind and beside the eye, extending to the eardrum. A faint black stripe runs from the corner of the beak down to below the eardrum. The beak and neck are pale yellow, while the neck’s upper skin is gray-brown. The carapace has three keels, with the vertebral keel being prominent; a thick black line runs continuously from the nuchal shield to the supracaudal shield along the vertebral keel. Adult turtles, regardless of sex, have shells in orange-yellow or dark brown, with pale yellow edges on both the carapace and plastron. Juvenile turtles have blackish-brown carapaces and limbs. There is one nuchal shield, short and trapezoidal. Five vertebral shields: the first is narrow in front and wide in back; the second, third, and fourth are hexagonal, nearly equal in width and length; the fifth is fan-shaped. There are four pairs of costal shields, eleven pairs of marginal shields, and one pair of inguinal shields arranged on both sides. The carapace and plastron are connected by the bridge seam, with the plastron slightly shorter than the carapace. Two broad longitudinal black patches almost cover the entire plastron, leaving only narrow yellowish bands on the sides and center; the bridge is nearly black. The gular shield is protruding, with a truncate front edge. The anal shield has a deep notch. Plastron shield seams: abdominal shield seam = pectoral shield seam + femoral shield seam + anal shield seam ≥ humeral shield seam. The limbs are flat and round; the forelimbs have relatively large, imbricate scales in gray-brown; some adult turtles have pale yellow lower inner scales. The hindlimb scales are finer and also gray-brown. The forelimbs have five claws, and the hindlimbs have four, with fully webbed toes. Femoral tubercles are sparse and not very prominent. The tail is covered with fine scales, with paired scales on the ventral side toward the rear. Males have slightly thicker and longer tails, with the cloacal opening positioned slightly farther from the tail base. The tail is gray-brown.

　　Qinzhou has a long history of breeding stone money turtles, leveraging the abundance of low-value small fish along the coast and rivers, primarily using live fish and shrimp as natural feed, resulting in turtles closer to natural ecological products. By 2010, five stone money turtle breeding bases in Qinzhou had received certification as pollution-free turtle farms. In 2011, the number of turtle breeders in Qinzhou grew from over 3,000 in 2004 to over 10,000, with more than 700,000 turtles bred annually, generating an annual output value of over 300 million yuan. The turtle industry has become a pillar for farmers’ prosperity. In 2005, the first “World-Famous Turtles Come from Qinzhou” turtle exhibition held in Qinzhou attracted media coverage from 28 news outlets including People’s Daily, China National Radio, Guangming Daily, Economic Daily, and Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po. In 2010, Qinzhou stone money turtles won the title of Turtle King at the Guangxi Turtle and Tortoise King Competition. In 2011, they participated in China’s National Turtle and Tortoise Competition, winning first and second prizes for males and second and third prizes for females, enhancing the “World-Famous Turtles Come from Qinzhou” brand and solidifying Qinzhou’s leading status in China’s turtle industry.

　　In accordance with the Administrative Measures for Geographical Indication of Agricultural Products, the Qinzhou City Aquatic Technology Extension Station of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region applied for geographical indication protection for the “Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle.” After preliminary review, expert evaluation, and public announcement, the application met the procedures and conditions for geographical indication registration. The Ministry of Agriculture decided to grant registration on May 2, 2012.

　　Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle

　　Geographic Scope

　　The registered protected area includes all towns in two counties and four districts of Qinzhou City, Guangxi: 18 towns in Lingwu County — Lingcheng Town, Xinwei Town, Fengtang Town, Pingshan Town, Shitang Town, Fozhi Town, Pingnan Town, Yanding Town, Tanwei Town, Nalong Town, Sanlong Town, Lushi Town, Jiuzhou Town, Taiping Town, Shiping Town, Wuli Town, Wenli Town, and Bola Town; 16 towns in Pubei County — Xiaojiang Town, Quanshui Town, Shiyong Town, Anshi Town, Zhanghuang Town, Dacheng Town, Baishuishui Town, Beitong Town, Sanhe Town, Longmen Town, Fuwang Town, Zhaizhai Town, Lemin Town, Liukeng Town, Pingmu Town, and Guandong Town; 12 towns and 4 subdistricts in Qinnan District — Shabu Town, Kangxiling Town, Huangwutun Town, Jianzhen Town, Dafanpo Town, Longmengang Town, Xiniujiao Town, Jiulong Town, Dongchang Town, Nali Town, Napeng Town, Nasi Town, Xiangyang Subdistrict, Shuidong Subdistrict, Wenfeng Subdistrict, and Nan Zhu Subdistrict; 11 towns in Qinnbei District — Danong Town, Pingji Town, Qingtang Town, Xiaodong Town, Bancheng Town, Nameng Town, Changtan Town, Xintang Town, Dazhi Town, Dasisi Town, and Guitai Town; Qinzhou Port Economic Development Zone; and Sanniangwan Management Area. The protected area spans from 21°34′52″N to 22°41′29″N latitude and 108°10′55″E to 109°51′24″E longitude, covering a breeding area of 5,000 acres with an annual total output of 1,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) Quality Characteristics: The turtle has an elongated oval body, slightly narrower in the front. The head is triangular, with a pointed snout, a notch in the middle of the upper jaw, a smooth, scale-free crown, and an olive-brown skin surface dotted with black speckles. The eyelid area is gray-green, with black stripes on the sides and a black stripe behind the eye extending to the eardrum. The throat, neck, and skin are pale yellow. The carapace is shielded, colored brown-yellow or brown-black, with three raised vertebral keels; a black line runs along the central keel to the supracaudal shield. Each scute on the plastron has symmetrical black patches. Research shows that per 100g of fresh meat, the Qinzhou Stone Money Turtle contains 17.5g–18.5g protein, 1.9g–2.2g fat, 42.5mg–45.9mg calcium, 1.5mg–1.7mg iron, 8.6mg–9.1mg zinc, and 1.5g–1.68g amino acids. It also contains various beneficial trace elements, offering rich nutrition and unique medicinal value. Health tonic soups made with Qinzhou stone money turtles are particularly flavorful. (2) Safety Requirements: Production strictly adheres to the Fisheries Water Quality Standards (GB11607), Pollution-Free Freshwater Aquaculture Water Quality (NY5051-2001), and Pollution-Free Turtle Standards (NY5066-2006).