Wuchang bream

Quick facts

Adult size

40 cm, 1500 g typical harvest weight

Days to harvest

365 to 540 days from fingerling

Lifespan (max)

up to 8 years

Diet

herbivore

Temperature class

warm-water

Difficulty

beginner

Water parameters

Temperature range

5–32°C (optimum 25°C)

pH

6.5 to 8.5

Hardness

5 to 25 dGH

Minimum tank

400 L per individual at harvest size

Feed and growth

Feed protein

28% target

Daily feed (warm water)

2.00% of body weight per day

Daily feed (cool water)

0.70% of body weight per day

Max stocking density

50 g per litre of system water

A 1500g adult eats about 30.0 g of feed per day at optimum temperature. For a roster of 10 fish at adult size, that's around 300 g of feed daily.

Legality

Aquaculture and possession rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time. This table reflects regulations as of the verified date on each row. Verify with your local fisheries or wildlife authority before stocking.

Jurisdictions not listed here default to "check local regulations". A non-listing is not a green light; rules in your specific county or municipality may apply.

Habitat and origin

Native to freshwater lakes and rivers in central and eastern China, particularly the middle and lower Yangtze River basin. The species (Megalobrama amblycephala) is a medium-sized cyprinid reaching 40–60 cm and 2–4 kg. Also called blunt-snout bream, it's one of the most important aquaculture species in China, with annual production exceeding 800,000 tonnes. Wuchang bream is a herbivorous fish that feeds on aquatic macrophytes, algae, and higher plants. The body is deep and laterally compressed with small scales and a silver to olive coloring. The flesh is white, tender, and moderately bony, widely consumed in Chinese cuisine (steamed whole fish is a traditional preparation). The species was first domesticated for aquaculture in Wuchang (now part of Wuhan), Hubei province, in the 1950s.

Climate and outdoor ponds

Climate classification

temperate (handles seasonal swings)

Outdoor pond zones (USDA)

6 to 12 (winter low around -23°C or warmer)

Heating in a temperate climate

Not required (handles seasonal cool periods)

Cooling in a temperate climate

Not required

Zone bounds reflect year-round outdoor pond viability with no active heating. Anywhere outside the bounded zone, the species can still be kept in an indoor heated tank or a seasonally-managed system. Verify your specific microclimate, as a sheltered yard zone can run a half-zone warmer than the regional rating.

Care notes

A warm-water herbivorous food fish primarily relevant to Chinese aquaculture and to aquaponics operations serving Chinese markets. Temperature range: 15–32°C, optimal at 24–28°C. Growth: 0.5–1.5 kg in 10-14 months on commercial carp pellet (25-30% protein) or in systems where the fish grazes directly on aquatic plants, duckweed, and terrestrial vegetation. FCR on pellet is 1.5-2.5; the herbivorous diet means the fish efficiently converts low-value plant material into edible protein, and in integrated aquaponics, excess duckweed production, vegetable trimmings, and aquatic plant waste from the grow beds can substitute for a significant portion of the pellet ration. This plant-recycling ability is the species' main advantage in aquaponics. Stocking density: 15-25 g/L. Water quality tolerance is moderate: DO above 3 mg/L, pH 6.5-8.5, temperature stability within the range. The species breeds readily in captivity via hormone-induced spawning, with each female producing hundreds of thousands of eggs per spawn. Fingerlings are abundantly available from Chinese hatcheries at very low cost (fractions of a cent per fish). Outside China, the species is essentially unknown in both aquaculture and consumer markets. For operators within China or those serving Chinese diaspora communities, wuchang bream is an established, reliable food fish with strong domestic demand and a plant-based diet that aligns well with integrated aquaponics production systems.

Further reading

• Aquaponics water chemistry: balancing pH for fish and plants
• Fish for aquaponics: tilapia vs everything else