Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp

Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp

Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp is an agricultural product with geographical indication status.

　　The original strain of Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp originates from Shuangfeng Reservoir in Fangzheng County, Heilongjiang Province, and is one of China’s unique triploid crucian carp species. To protect this valuable and premium-quality fish, Shuangfeng Reservoir in Fangzheng County has been designated as the original strain production base.

　　Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp boasts advantages such as a small head, thick back, high meat yield, cold resistance, strong disease resistance, fast growth, and large individual size. Using this fish as the female parent and common carp as the male parent, the artificially bred Yinjiang Crucian Carp—developed through heterologous sperm-induced gynogenesis—exhibits even more superior farming traits. Its growth rate is 20% faster than that of ordinary crucian carp, and it can increase aquaculture yield by over 30%. Suitable for farming across various regions and methods in both southern and northern China, the fish can reach an individual weight of over 300 grams within a year.

　　Originally from Shuangfeng Reservoir in Fangzheng County, Heilongjiang Province, Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp has become one of the most popular aquatic products among farming operations and consumers alike due to its fast growth, strong disease resistance, and excellent taste. Especially favored by farming units in southern China, Fangzheng County is home to China’s only national-level silver crucian carp original strain farm. Since 1975, the fish has gradually been introduced to over 20 provinces and cities across China, generating significant economic and social benefits. In the early 21st century, the Fangzheng County government identified the farming of Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp as a key industry for local economic development, aiming to establish a dedicated farming base. The development of this base has stimulated related industries in Fangzheng, significantly boosting the aquaculture sector—particularly in Fangzheng County and surrounding areas where Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp is the main focus—greatly advancing the county’s overall aquatic industry. This has contributed substantially to increasing farmers’ incomes and revitalizing the local economy. Shuangfeng Reservoir is a hilly-type reservoir with an average depth of 3 meters and a fishable area of 9,000 mu, yielding an average of 180,000 kilograms of Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp annually. The geographical protection area for Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp includes the original strain farm, Shuangfeng Reservoir, and Shuanglong Reservoir, covering a total protected area of 1,446.7 hectares with an annual output of 325 tons.

　　Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp lives at the bottom of water bodies and is omnivorous, with a preference for plant-based food. Its physical characteristics include a short, laterally compressed and tall body, a small and short head, and a rounded, blunt snout. The mouth is terminal and oblique. The upper and lower jaws are roughly equal in length. It lacks barbels, has small eyes located on the upper sides of the head, and its gill membrane is connected to the isthmus. The gill rakers are long and densely arranged. The dorsal fin has hard spines, with a straight outer edge and coarse, sparsely arranged posterior serrations. The pectoral fins do not reach the pelvic fins. The caudal fin is shallowly forked, with pointed tips on both upper and lower lobes. Its coloration is blackish-gray on the back, dorsal fin, and anal fin; deep silvery-gray on the flanks; and slightly darker along the edges of each scale on the sides.

　　(1) Soil and Topography: The upstream area of Shuangfeng Reservoir in Fangzheng County features a large fluctuation zone with abundant wild grass and shrubs. After spring floods, the water surface can increase by over 50%, submerging vegetation and providing an ideal habitat for Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp. The reservoir has an equal division between frozen and open-water periods, with water temperatures exceeding 14°C for 100–130 days annually. Surrounded by hills, farmland, and villages, the reservoir has fertile water quality that meets aquaculture standards. In addition to Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp, the reservoir also hosts other fish species such as common carp, silver carp, and grass carp.

　　(2) Hydrological Conditions: The terrain of Fangzheng County slopes from the eastern and western watershed divides toward the central Ant River Valley plain, featuring flat land with elevations ranging from 100 to 135 meters. The rivers within Fangzheng County belong to the Songhua River system. The Songhua River flows from west to east along the northern border, covering a distance of 114 kilometers. The Ant River, a tributary of the Songhua River, runs 49.3 kilometers through the county, along with over 30 other rivers of varying sizes—including the Liangzhu River, Huangni River, Shitou River, Tongzi River, and the Large and Small Luomi Rivers—as well as 268 ponds and lakes, covering a total water area of 137,600 mu.

　　(3) Climate: Fangzheng County has a cold temperate continental monsoon climate. Springs are windy and dry, summers are hot and rainy, autumn arrives early with frost, and winters are cold and arid. The average annual temperature in the plains is 2.7°C, with a frost-free period of 110–128 days. The long-term average annual precipitation is 594.1 millimeters.

　　(4) Cultural and Historical Background: Originating from Shuangfeng Reservoir in Fangzheng County, Heilongjiang Province, Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp has become one of the most favored aquatic products among farming operations and the general public due to its rapid growth, strong disease resistance, and delicious taste. Especially popular among farming units across China—particularly in the south—Fangzheng County is home to China’s only national-level silver crucian carp original strain farm. Since 1975, the fish has been introduced to over 20 provinces and cities nationwide, producing remarkable economic and social benefits. In recent years, the Fangzheng County government has prioritized the farming of Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp as a key industry for local economic development, striving to establish a dedicated breeding base. The development of this base has driven related industries in Fangzheng, significantly advancing the aquaculture sector—especially in our county and surrounding areas where Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp is the focus—greatly boosting the local aquatic industry, increasing farmers’ incomes, and revitalizing the regional economy.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Fangzheng County is located in the central-southern part of Heilongjiang Province, on the southern bank of the middle reaches of the Songhua River, at the western foothills of the Zhangguangcai Mountain Range (a branch of the Changbai Mountains), and in the lower reaches of the Ant River. It lies between 128°13′37″–129°33′24″ east longitude and 45°32′47″–46°08′53″ north latitude, covering a total area of 2,970 square kilometers. Shuangfeng Reservoir is situated in Deshan Township, Fangzheng County, 9 kilometers from the county seat and 189 kilometers from Harbin. It is located on a tributary of the Ant River (a branch of the Songhua River), in the middle section of the Huangni River. This hilly-type reservoir has an average depth of 3 meters, a fishable area of 9,000 mu, and an average annual yield of 180,000 kilograms of Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp. The geographical protection area for Fangzheng Silver Crucian Carp includes the original strain farm, Shuangfeng Reservoir, and Shuanglong Reservoir, encompassing a total protected area of 1,446.7 hectares with an annual output of 325 tons.