Sea cucumbers, sluglike creatures that hug the seafloor, have long been a prized delicacy at Chinese banquets, the mark of a special occasion. And no variety of sea cucumber is more valued, or costlier, than the exceedingly rare albino. Just a few years ago, five white sea cucumbers sold at auction in the city of Jinan for 160,000 renminbi, or nearly $26,000 at todayโs exchange rate.
Now, Chinese scientists say they have cracked theย genetic code of the albino sea cucumber, opening the door to its mass production.
According to the report by theย Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Qingdao, researchers who have been studying the genetic makeup of sea cucumbers have identified the gene responsible for albinism, and have begun producing genetically modified albinos. This year alone, it says, the scientists, led byย Dr. Yang Hongsheng, have succeeded in breeding 150 million white sea cucumbers suitable for aquaculture.
With the prospect of large-scale production, can shoppers expect some day to find packages of inexpensive white sea cucumbers next to the frozen shrimp and scallops in their local supermarkets?
Share this article
Liu Yang, a spokesman for the Institute of Oceanology, said in a telephone interview that it was too early to assess the commercial possibilities. โItโs a new technology that hasnโt been industrialized, so we donโt know what economic benefits it will bring,โ he said. โItโs hard to predict.โ
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post:ย Albino Sea Cucumbers, a Delicacy, Could Become a Lot Less Rare
