'Huangxin No. 1' Breeding Chip for Large Yellow Croaker

Editor/Mohamed Shihab

Breakthrough genotyping technology creates a “genetic ID card,” boosting precision breeding and accelerating high-quality development of China’s large yellow croaker industry

Recently, a research team led by Professor Yan Xiaojun, Party Secretary of Zhejiang Ocean University, announced the successful development of a liquid-phase breeding chip named “Huangxin No. 1” for large yellow croaker. Developed in collaboration with multiple research institutions, the chip is based on genotyping technology and establishes a precise “genetic ID card” for the species. The innovation directly addresses long-standing industry challenges such as mixed germplasm, unclear seed sources, and lengthy breeding cycles, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of China’s large yellow croaker aquaculture industry.

The large yellow croaker is one of China’s most important marine aquaculture species. Among them, croakers from the Zhoushan waters, particularly the Daiqu grouper population and its prized “Golden Strain”—distinguished by an entirely golden body color—are highly favored by the market for their attractive appearance and excellent taste. However, the industry has long struggled with low breeding efficiency and unstable traits.
“There is a relative lack of high-quality, locally sourced large yellow croaker fry in Zhoushan,” said Yan Xiaojun. “Traditional breeding relies heavily on manual observation, which is time-consuming and unstable, leading to issues such as golden body color degradation and uncertain germplasm origins.”

To fundamentally resolve these issues, Yan Xiaojun’s team launched a systematic breeding program for high-quality native large yellow croaker seedlings in 2019. Over several years, the team successfully selected parental lines with stable genetic traits, forming the basis for further innovation. Focusing on the key economic trait of body color, the researchers developed the “Huangxin No. 1” breeding chip. Unlike previous chips that mainly targeted disease resistance or muscle quality, “Huangxin No. 1” is the first breeding chip specifically designed to improve body color genetics in large yellow croaker.

Through whole-genome analysis, the team screened 5,509 key genetic loci, enabling targeted capture of critical genomic regions. The chip not only accurately identifies populations and strains but also integrates functionally related loci associated with body color, significantly improving screening efficiency for golden traits. With an identification accuracy of 80%–90%, the chip effectively solves the problem of unclear seedling identification and can shorten the breeding cycle of superior strains by more than 30%, achieving faster and more precise selection.

<-- Source: Zhejiang Ocean University

Yan Xiaojun explained: “First, it helps establish germplasm records, providing reliable molecular evidence for stock enhancement and seedling traceability. Second, it allows us to optimize economic traits by directly screening genes related to golden body color and rapid growth, greatly enhancing breeding efficiency.”

Behind this compact chip is a strong foundation of industry–academia–research integration. “Huangxin No. 1” was developed on a “breeding–propagation–promotion” integrated platform jointly built by the Zhoushan Fisheries Breeding and Seedling Science and Technology Innovation Center, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan Fisheries Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial Marine Fisheries Research Institute, and Zhejiang Zhongwei Science and Technology Innovation Marine Technology Co., Ltd. Field verification in commercial aquaculture populations showed a site detection rate exceeding 99%, demonstrating high stability and The release of “Huangxin No. 1” provides a more precise, standardized, and traceable technological solution for upgrading the large yellow croaker seed industry. “We hope this technology will drive the industry toward standardization and high quality,” said Yan Xiaojun, “and offer strong seed-industry support for building China’s ‘blue granary’.”practical applicability.

The release of “Huangxin No. 1” provides a more precise, standardized, and traceable technological solution for upgrading the large yellow croaker seed industry. “We hope this technology will drive the industry toward standardization and high quality,” said Yan Xiaojun, “and offer strong seed-industry support for building China’s ‘blue granary’.”