EXPERT TOPIC BLACK SPOTTED FROG
BLACK-SPOTTED
FROG
EXPERT TOPIC Commercial farming in China
by Liu Fenglei, He Zhuliu, Dong Qiufen and Zhang Song, Guangzhou Nutriera Biotechnology Co., Ltd, China
T
he black-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) is an amphibious animal of the species Ranidae and the genus Pelophylax. It is a beneficial species with economic and scientific research values, and it has been listed in the IUCN red list of Threatened Species since 2004. Therefore, it is not allowed to catch wild black-spotted frogs in China. Black-spotted frogs have been studied in China for a long time, and it is recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medical. As the meat has high protein and low fat, the southerners even depict it as delicious as chicken’s meat and it has been a popular dish for the people. In addition to its nutritional value, it has some medicinal effects such as improving liver and kidney functions, promoting body immunity, anti-aging properties, beneficial lung functions and eyesight etc. In addition, extracted frog oil can be used as a regulator of human body metabolism and beauty. The black-spotted frog is mainly distributed in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and Russia. It can adapt to wide geographical environments, and can be found in different habitats including meadows, leafy, mixed pine, broadleaved forests, bush land, and even deserts. Furthermore, the species is also present in suitable modified habitats. Within these, its inhabits are various types of stagnant water bodies, including river pools, channels, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, swamps, ditches and paddy fields. Chinese scientists have achieved full-scale artificial farming and have formulated feed technology for this species. The black-spotted frog industry has been developing rapidly. It’s widely farmed in more than 10 provinces of China, and it has become a common aquaculture product.
34 | September 2018 - International Aquafeed