Estuarine tapertail anchovy (Coilia nasus, junior synonym C. ectenes) are widely distributed throughout the Yangtze River, the coastal waters of China and Korea, and the Ariake Sound of Japan. The species is commercially important because of its nutritional value and taste. In recent years, overharvest and changes in the aquatic ecosystem almost resulted in the extinction of the species in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Researchers have evaluated a number of measures to conserve the species, including captive breeding in ponds, artificial propagation, and larval rearing. As a result, the immediate threat to C.nasus has been alleviated at present. However, artificially cultured C. nasus grow relatively slowly (~125 g in 2⁺ years) so there is a need to improve the growth rate. To determine the molecular mechanisms controlling growth and meat quality in Coilia nasus, we cloned the myostatin gene in C. nasus by homologous cloning methods. Its full-length cDNA was 2 252 bp long, with a 1 125 bp open reading frame (ORF) that encoded a 374 amino acid protein. The C. nasusu MSTN protein was predicted to contain a signal peptide sequence, conserved cysteine ​​residues, and RXXR proteolytic sites. Gene expression was deduced by qRT-PCR. The MSTN gene of C. nasus was expressed strongly in the muscle and brain, but weakly in the gills, liver, spleen, intestine, kidney, and head kidney. MSTN expression in C. nasus was not limited to skeletal muscle. Our results suggest that the biological actions of MSTN in C. nasus, and possibly in other fishes, may not be limited to skeletal muscle growth repression, but may also influence different cell types and organ systems, particularly brain cells. The MSTN gene has shown significant potential in mammalian breeding programs, and our results provide for a basis for development of breeding programs in C. nasus.