Environmental Biology of Fishes 48:241–255, 1997.
© 1997KIuwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the NetherlandsQiwei Wei1.2, Fu’en Ke^2 ,Jueming Zhang^3 , Ping Zhuang^2 , JundeLuo^2 ,Rueqiong Zhou^2 & Wenhua Yang^2(^1) State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Germplasm ResourcesandBiotechnology, Shashi 434000, China
(^2) Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shashi 434000, China
(^3) Amur River Fisheries Research Institute, ChineseAcademy of Fishery Sciences Harbin 150070, China
Received 2.8.1994 Accepted 10.3.1996
Key words:Acipenseriformes,Acipenser,Huso, Psephurus,Yangtze River, Amur River, Gezhouba Dam,
Three Gorges Project, spawning areas
Synopsis
This paper reviews five of the eight species of acipenseriforms that occur in China, chiefly those of the Amur
and Yangtze rivers. KalugaHuso dauricusand Amur sturgeonAcipenserschrenckiiare endemic to the Amur
River. Both species still support fisheries, but stocks are declining due to overfishing. Acipenseriformes of the
Yangtze River are primarily threatened by hydroelectric dams that block free passage to spawning and feed-
ing areas. The Chinese paddlefishPsephurus gladiusnow is rare in the Yangtze River system, and its spawning
activities were severely limited by completion of the Gezhouba Dam in 1981. Since 1988, only 3–10 adult
paddlefishes per year have been found below the dam. Limited spawning still exists above the dam, but when
the new Three Gorges Dam is complete, it will further threaten the paddlefish. Artificial propagation appears
to be the only hope for preventing extinction ofP. gladius,but it has yet to be successfully bred in captivity.
Dabry’s sturgeonA.dabryanusis a small, exclusively freshwater sturgeon found only in the Yangtze River
system. It is concentrated today in reaches of the main stream above Gezhouba Dam. The fishery has been
closed since 1983, but populations continue to decline.Acipenserdabryanushas been cultured since the 1970s,
and holds promise for commercial aquaculture; availability of aquacultural methods offers hope for enhanc-
ing natural populations. The Chinese sturgeon A. sinensis occurs in the Yangtze and Pearl rivers and seas of
east Asia. There is still disagreement about the taxonomy of the Pearl and Yangtze River populations. The
Yangtze River population is anadromous. Adults begin spawning at about age 14 years (males) and 21 years
(females), and adults spend over 15 months in the river for reproduction. Spawning sites ofA. sinensiswere
found every year since 1982 below the Gezhouba Dam, but it seems that insufficient suitable ground is avail-
able for spawning. Since 1983, commercial fishing has been prohibited but more measures need to be taken
such as establishing protected areas and characterizing critical spawning, summering and wintering habitats.
Introduction
Eight species of Acipenseriformes are native to
China. Kaluga Huso dauricus and Amur sturgeon
Acipenser schrenckii are shared with Russia in the
Amur River system, and Siberian sturgeon A. barerii
and sterlet A. ruthenus with Kazakhstan and Russia
in the lrtysh River.Acipenser nudiventrisoccurs in
the Ili River, which is a tributary of Lake Balkhash
in Kazathstan. The remaining three species, Chi-
nese sturgeon A. sinensis, Dabry’s sturgeon A. da-
bryanusand Chinese paddlefish Psephurus gladius,
are endemic to China, particularly the Yangtze Riv-
er and China Sea. In 1988, North American paddle-
Biology, fisheries, and conservation of sturgeons and paddlefish in China