In present study, the expression differences of myostatin (MSTN) in various tissues of Eriocheir sinensis were analyzed by qRT-PCR during molting cycle. The results showed that, (1) EsMSTN (Eriocheir sinensis MSTN) had its highest expression level in muscle, while higher expression levels were also observed in thoracic ganglia and brain ganglia at stage C, suggesting its physiological function was not be restricted to muscle. (2) EsMSTN was expressed highest at AB and lowest at D stage of molting cycle in muscle, suggesting that EsMSTN might be a positive growth regulator in E. sinensis, which involved in the significant expansion and severe atrophy of the muscle at AB stage and D stage, respectively. Whereas in hepatopancreas and epithelium, EsMSTN mRNA expression levels were highest at AB stage, and lowest at C or D stage, due probably to cell proliferation at AB stage in these tissues. In addition, the peak value of EsMSTN mRNA in thoracic ganglia occurred at stage AB and its lowest expression level was observed at stage D, which implied that EsMSTN may regulate the nerogenesis positively in this tissue.