en aquaculture aquaculture پژوهشي Orginal research papers <p align="justify">To provide a scientific basis for artificial culture, the effects of different breeding densities, feeding cycles, and light environments on the growth regulation of <a name="OLE_LINK23"><em>Poecilobdella manillensis</em> </a>were studied. After <a name="OLE_LINK1"><em>P. manillensis</em></a> were cultured at breeding densities of 250 ~ 3250 <a name="OLE_LINK27">leeches m^-2</a>; feeding cycles of 2 ~ 16 days; and a light environment with noise or a light-free environment without noise, the weight gain rate (RWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion rate (FCR)<a name="OLE_LINK3">, </a>and total content of the effective component (TCEC) were measured for 64 days. The results showed that the RWG and SGR presented the same growth indexes, which decreased with the increase in breeding density and the lengthening of the feeding cycle. In the light environment, the RWG and SGR of <a name="OLE_LINK2"><em>P. </em></a><em>m</em><em>anillensis</em> were lower than in the dark environment. The TCEC of groups 2 d and 4 d were significantly higher than in the other feeding cycle experiment groups. From these results, we advise that the optimal breeding density for artificial culture is 1750 leeches m^-2 and the feeding cycle is 4 days<a name="OLE_LINK9">; </a>in the dark and quiet environment, <em>P.</em><em> m</em><em>anillensis</em> grew better.</p> Artificial culture, Specific growth rate, Feed conversion rate, Total content of effective component 775 789 http://jifro.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2383-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Y. Lu 100319475328460031116 100319475328460031116 No Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing F Liu 100319475328460031117 100319475328460031117 No Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing Q. Guo gqs@njau.edu.cn 100319475328460031118 100319475328460031118 Yes Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing B Cheng 100319475328460031119 100319475328460031119 No Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing H Shi 100319475328460031120 100319475328460031120 No Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing L Gou 100319475328460031121 100319475328460031121 No Institute of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China