Artificial breeding opens new prospects for peacock eel farming

Refining artificial breeding techniques for a specialty fish

On July 8, the Can Tho Technical Economic College (CTEC) convened an evaluation council to assess the city-level science and technology project titled "Refining artificial breeding techniques and developing a commercial farming model for the peacock eel (Macrognathus siamensis)". The project was led by Dr. Nguyen Quang Trung.

The council concluded that the project not only achieved significant research milestones but also opened up prospects for establishing a new, high-value aquaculture species for the Mekong Delta.

For many years, peacock eels have been harvested almost exclusively from the wild. The fish is prized for its flavorful, nutritious meat and is highly sought after by restaurants specializing in local cuisine. Farm-gate prices typically range from VND 280,000 to VND 500,000 per kilogram, while restaurant prices can reach VND 650,000-750,000 per kilogram.

Recognizing this market potential, the research team launched the project in September 2023 to develop breeding protocols for broodstock, artificial spawning techniques, nursery production, and commercial farming models.

According to Dr. Nguyen Quang Trung, the project has gradually overcome the major bottlenecks preventing commercial cultivation of the species. The research team successfully refined broodstock conditioning techniques, identified suitable artificial breeding methods, established nursery protocols from larvae to fingerlings, and, most importantly, produced more than 21,000 artificially bred fingerlings for pilot farming trials.

This achievement marks the first time that a relatively complete artificial breeding process for peacock eel has been established in both Can Tho and the Mekong Delta, providing a reliable seed supply instead of relying entirely on wild capture.

New opportunities for commercial farming

Alongside hatchery development, the research team has established commercial farming trials at households in O Mon and Phuoc Thoi wards of Can Tho City.

Field monitoring shows that after approximately 14-15 months of feeding with commercial feed, eels raised in net enclosures and lined tanks reached weights of 10-30 grams per fish, equivalent to roughly 34-100 fish per kilogram.

The results demonstrate that the species can adapt well to intensive farming conditions while providing valuable scientific data for further refinement of feeding regimes, environmental management, stocking density, and disease control.

One participating farmer, Le Thanh Nhon from O Mon ward, received support from the project to raise two net pens of peacock eels. Although the initial economic returns have not yet met expectations because the species is entirely new, the production cycle is relatively long, and farming techniques are still being refined, he remains optimistic.

"The most important thing is that we now have a stable supply of artificially bred fingerlings and technical support from the research team. As farming techniques continue to improve, with faster growth and higher survival rates, profitability will certainly improve," he said.

Among the five participating households, only one has generated a profit so far, while the other three incurred losses because of high production costs and slower-than-expected fish growth. However, according to the project management team, such results were anticipated since this represents the first applied research phase for an entirely new aquaculture species.

The project's greatest contribution lies not in immediate financial returns but in successfully establishing, for the first time, a commercial farming protocol for peacock eels using artificially bred fingerlings in lined tanks and intensive net enclosures in the Mekong Delta. The pilot trials have generated valuable scientific data that will support further research on feed formulation, farming environments, disease management, and technical optimization.

“Once the farming protocol is further refined and widely transferred through agricultural extension programs, the availability of artificial fingerlings will enable farmers to expand production, reduce pressure on wild fish populations, and gradually establish large-scale commercial peacock eel farming areas,” Dr. Nguyen Quang Trung said.

According to the Can Tho Fisheries and Fisheries Surveillance Sub-Department, the aquaculture sector is encouraging the development of new, high-value cultured species that are resilient to climate change and responsive to market demand. The initial success of the peacock eel project therefore represents not only an important scientific achievement but also the beginning of a promising new aquaculture industry.

With artificial breeding technology now established, the peacock eel has strong potential to become a valuable farmed specialty species, helping diversify rural livelihoods and increase incomes for farmers in Can Tho in the years ahead.

*USD 1 = VND 26,466. Source: Vietcombank.