文昌鱼特殊的进化地位、简单的器官系统和终生透明的躯体等特征,使其很有希望成为一个新型实验室模式动物。要实现文昌鱼的模式动物化,实验室内全人工条件下繁殖是关键的第一步。为此,我们于2003年9月和2004年4月两次采集产于厦门海域的2种文昌鱼,开展实验室内养殖研究。经过3年多的持续实验室养殖,继2005年夏季于实验室内繁殖出子一代文昌鱼后,又在2006年夏季成功获得了这两种文昌鱼的子二代,初步实现文昌鱼在实验室内的全人工养殖。对子代文昌鱼养殖的初步观察发现,不同水温对生长发育速度有一定影响,提示有可能通过水温控制实现文昌鱼一年多次产卵的目的。目前这两种文昌鱼子二代幼体已完成变态,进入亚成体生长发育阶段,其体长分别已达14.6mm(日本文昌鱼Branchiostoma japonicum)和6.5mm(白氏文昌鱼B.belcheri)。
Amphioxus is expected to be a model laboratory animal in the near future because of its important position in evolution, simplified internal organ systems and transparent body. In order to develop the animal into a new laboratory model, we sampled two species of amphioxus ( Branchiostoma belcheri and B. japonicum ) from Xiamen in September 2003 and April 2004. The captive lancelets were cultured in the laboratory and fed daily with unicellular algae. After three years of laboratory culturing, we successfully obtained a second filial generation of both species, meaning that a full reproductive cycle was achieved in the laboratory. Preliminary observations on the growth of the progeny indicated that warmer water temperature will speed up the growth and development of amphioxus. This hints that amphioxus probably spawns more often in the laboratory, where water temperature is controlled, than in the wild. Most of the second generation lancelets have now metamorphosed into the early sub-adult stage, and their maximum full body lengths were up to 14.6 mm (B. japonicum ) and 6.5 mm ( B. belcheri ), respectively.