192 1 year, Wu Xianwen graduated from Nanjing Normal University with honors and went to teach at Jimei School in Xiamen, Fujian. A year later, Xiamen University was formally established, and he was transferred to the Department of Zoology of Xiamen University as a teaching assistant. It is very important to live in Xiamen University for six years in Wu Xianwen's life. The basic training of zoology research he received here laid the foundation for his lifelong career. When he first arrived at Xiamen University, he followed S.F. Light to guide students to do zoology experiments. In order to be competent for this job, Wu Xianwen learned animal taxonomy from Wright. On one occasion, Wright took Wu Xianwen to take an animal off a rock by the sea and let him classify and identify it himself. He first defined the structure from the aspects of cultivation observation and morphological anatomy, and then from phylum, class, order, family, genus to species. It took more than a week to finally determine that this animal is a group of internal anal animals. This basic training of taxonomic thinking and working methods left an unforgettable impression on Wu Xianwen. From 65438 to 0925, Bing Zhi came to Xiamen University to teach comparative anatomy, histology and embryology of vertebrates in the Department of Zoology. Encouraged by Bing Zhi, Wu Xianwen registered as a student in the Department of Zoology, worked as a teaching assistant for Bing Zhi, and completed his studies. During this period, his solid foundation in histology and embryology was obtained under the direct guidance of Bing Zhi. At the same time, Wu Xianwen used Plasmodium Khodorkovsky to study parasites, and studied free-living nematodes in Xiamen and Zhejiang, lung parasitic nematodes in finless porpoises and their histopathological changes. Young Wu Xianwen took the first step of his career here.

After graduating from Xiamen University, Wu Xianwen applied to the Biology Department of Nanjing Central University (now Nanjing University) to teach zoology. Although he has made some achievements in the study of nematodes, his interest in ichthyology has not changed. After only staying in Nanjing for one year, I resigned from the teaching post of Central University, and on 1929, I accepted the financial support of China Education and Culture Foundation to study in France, and studied ichthyology under the guidance of L. Basle, the ichthyology laboratory of the Paris Museum. After three years' hard work, Wu Xianwen finally finished his doctoral thesis "Morphological, Biological and Systematic Studies of PARALICHTHYS olivaceus in China" (contribution a l 'etude morphology, biologique et systematique des poissons heterosomes (Pisces heteromata). University of Paris. A, No.224 (1932):1-179), obtained in1932.

Since the early 1920s, with the efforts of predecessors in zoology such as Bing, the Institute of Biology and the Institute of Static Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences have been established one after another, and a variety of scientific journals have been founded. Before and after Wu Xianwen went abroad, he published some papers in these journals. From 65438 to 0930, the National Museum of Natural History of China Academy of Sciences was established in Nanjing, which was the first government-sponsored biological research institution in China. After Wu Xianwen returned to China, he was immediately recommended to preside over the animal department of the museum. At the same time, Fang Bingwen, Chang and others worked in the department of zoology. In order to investigate the rich biological resources of the motherland, they went deep into remote mountainous areas such as Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan, collected a large number of specimens and found many new species that have never been recorded in science. During this period, Wu Xianwen worked in a wide range, which showed his solid foundation in zoology research.

1934 The Museum of Natural History was changed to the Institute of Biology, Academia Sinica, and later renamed the Institute of Animals and Plants.

During the period of 1937, the Lugouqiao Incident broke out, and the artillery fire of the Japanese aggressor troops quickly spread to the south. The research institutes affiliated to Academia Sinica have moved to the mainland, and the Institute of Animals and Plants has also been ordered to move to Changsha, Hengshan and other places in Hunan. In recent years, the scientific research conditions have suffered serious losses. In order to meet the needs of scientific research, Wu Xianwen and his colleagues packed the microscope and books one by one, but they lost many personal necessities. At that time, the institute had collected a large number of animal and plant specimens, including some model specimens of new species, which could not be taken away. In order to preserve these specimens, they dug a deep ditch under the wall and carefully buried them bottle by bottle, hoping to take them out for use after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Who would have expected that after eight years, they would never dig up these precious specimens, and thieves might throw away these "rotten fish and shrimp" because they didn't dig up gold, silver and jewels, but Wu Xianwen and they regretted losing these priceless treasures for life.

The Changsha fire brought the Institute of Zoology and Botany of Chinese Academy of Sciences to Yangshuo, Guangxi. The arduous journey, hard life and tight research funds did not shake Wu Xianwen's determination to continue his scientific research. During his short stay in Yangshuo, Wu Xianwen finished the article "On the Fish in Lijiang River". Sinensia,10 (1-6): 92-142 ",which describes 165438+ found in Lijiang. From 65438 to 0939, the Institute of Animals and Plants moved to Beibei, Chongqing, Sichuan, and only then did it have a slightly stable scientific research environment. However, with the collapse of the Central Plains, it is difficult to realize the plan to investigate the natural resources of the motherland. In this case, Wu Xianwen decided to focus on indoor work, carried out a series of experimental ichthyology research, and published many papers in the fields of morphology, histology and physiology.

After War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory, some research institutes of Academia Sinica moved to Shanghai. Wu Xianwen and his colleagues didn't board the ship until 1946, and worked as researchers in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1948 was elected as an academician of academia sinica. However, the corruption and inflation of the national government made Wu Xianwen, who had passed the age of no doubt, no longer have any illusions about the rule of the Kuomintang. 1949 On the eve of liberation, he and all the staff of the Institute of Zoology of Academia Sinica foiled the plot to move the Institute to Taiwan Province Province, which opened a new page in history.

Less than two months after the liberation of Shanghai, Wu Xianwen was informed to attend the preparatory meeting of the first natural science workers' congress in New China. Wu Xianwen, who has been wandering for half his life, is extremely excited. He is determined to devote the rest of his life to science in New China. He took part in the preparatory work of China Academy of Sciences. Algae professionals from Institute of Zoology and Institute of Botany of Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly established Institute of Aquatic Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences on 1950, and successively established two marine biological laboratories and one Taihu freshwater biological laboratory in Qingdao and Xiamen. Wu Xianwen was appointed as deputy director of the Institute of Aquatic Biology and director of the Freshwater Biology Research Office of Taihu Lake. From 65438 to 0954, Qingdao Marine Biology Laboratory was directly under the China Academy of Sciences, while the Institute of Hydrobiology and its affiliated Taihu Freshwater Biology Laboratory moved to East Lake, Wuchang, Wuhan, and became the China Aquatic Biology Research Center, focusing on freshwater ecology. Wu Xianwen has been in charge of ichthyology research in this institute. Under the guidance of the policy that scientific research serves the national economic construction, the research work of the Institute of Hydrobiology of Chinese Academy of Sciences has been focused on how to accelerate the development of freshwater fisheries, and the focus of ichthyology research has gradually shifted to the field of ecology.

Since 1950 served as the deputy director of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wu Xianwen has held several positions successively. 1955 was hired as an academician of China Academy of Sciences, and served as president of Wuhan Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences, director of Institute of Aquatic Biology, and deputy head of Aquatic Group of State Science and Technology Commission. He is also a member of the Standing Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of Jiu San Society and the Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of Hubei Provincial People's Congress. Although leading work and various part-time jobs occupied a lot of time in Wu Xianwen, he never forgot that he was a scientist, and his main task was scientific research. He is determined to make new efforts to investigate the rich freshwater fish resources in the motherland. After more than 20 years of specimen collection, data collation and careful study, the first and second volumes of China CYPRINIDAE were published in 1964 and 1977 respectively.

When the next volume of China Cyprinidae was published, Wu Xianwen was 78 years old, but his ambition was still there. He made a strategic plan to catch up with the advanced level in the world. He said to his assistants, "Our book has greatly increased the records of the species and distribution of CYPRINIDAE in China, but the system and pedigree of CYPRINIDAE and its various groups are still consistent with the previous ones. The next step should be to study the phylogeny of carp. " After countless sleepless nights, Wu Xianwen and his assistants have achieved fruitful results-put forward a new classification system of carp suborder, which occupies the forefront of the world in this field.

Starting from 1924, Wu Xianwen published the first research report on "Preliminary Records of Snakes in Ruian, Zhejiang" in Xiamen University Quarterly. Over the past 60 years, he has published more than 80 papers and monographs in domestic and foreign scientific journals. Among them, there are 45 papers on ichthyology, nematodes and other worms 16, arthropods, reptiles, amphibians and other animals 1 1, and many reports on marine and lake surveys and fish archaeology.