In January 2016, a recollection comment “Jian-Kang Liu: A pioneer of sex determination studies in vertebrates”, written by Prof. ZHOU Li and Prof. GUI Jianfang (CAS academician) from Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHB), was published in Protein & Cell. The recollection reviewed the story about the unusual phenomenon of hermaphroditism and sex reversal in the rice field eel (Monopterus javanensis) revealed by a young Chinese scholar, Jian-Kang Liu, under the difficult conditions during the Anti-Japanese War. This interesting finding attracted the attention of Dr. W.S. Bullough, a Fellow of the Royal Society. Then, he wrote an article “Hermaphroditism in the lower vertebrates” in Nature and commented that  Liu "opened a fresh field for research into this subject”. The recollection also introduced the story that the letter “Sodium Sulphate also can induce the development of the 'Chloride-secreting cells' in Macropodus”, which was written by Dr. Liu, was published in Nature under Prof. Joseph Needham’s recommendation. 

Furthermore, the recollection commented the several remarkable achievements fulfilled by fish genetics and breeding scientists from IHB under the guidance of Dr. Liu. For example, over the past 30 years, three successive new varieties, such as allogynogenetic gibel carp, high dorsal allogynogenetic gibel carp, and allogynogenetic gibel carp “CAS Ⅲ” were bred through heterologous sperm-induced gynogenesis and various reproduction mode utilization, and were introduced into almost all areas of aquaculture in China. All-female hybrid common carp were also produced by artificial gynogenesis and chromosome set manipulation and  “all-male No. 1” yellow catfish were bred by using X- and Y-chromosome-specific molecular markers. 

As Dr. Liu's fellow scholars, the authors expressed their deepest appreciation and gratitude for Dr. Liu’s excellent personality, brilliant life and significant contributions to fish biology, lake ecology, and sustainable aquaculture industry. They also extended their sincere wishes for his health.  

Jian-Kang Liu, Ichthyologist & Freshwater ecologists, one of the founders in freshwater ecosystems research, was born in Wujiang, Jiangsu Province in Sept, 1917. He graduated from the Department of Biology at Soochow University in 1938 and obtained his Ph.D. degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1947. After 1983, he successively served as Deputy Director, Director and Honorary Director of Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In Nov 1980, Dr. Liu was elected as Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences. One of his paper “Rudimentary hermaphroditism in the symbranchoid eel, Monopterus javanensis” published in 1944 attracted the attention of the international peers. After 1949, he focused on fish ecology and limnology, established freshwater ecology in China and made significant contributions to sustainable aquaculture industry.