New evidence may support the persistence and adaptability of the near-extinct Chinese sturgeon

Abstract

Damming the Yangtze River has resulted in a shortened spawning migration distance and time period, created altered and fewer spawning locations, reduced spawning population size, and narrowed the spawning temperature range for the Chinese sturgeon, Acipenser sinensis. No sign of spawning activity was detected in 2013 and 2014, raising concern about the possible extinction of the species. However, the recent discovery of four wild juvenile Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze Estuary in 2015 suggests that following a short time period when spawning was suspended, a few Chinese sturgeon have resumed spawning at an unknown location in the Yangtze River. This demonstrates that Chinese sturgeon have an extraordinary ability to adapt to environmental changes. However, they appear to have reached their limit in adapting to the drastically changed riverine environment. Innovative conservation efforts are needed to improve the chances for survival of this critically endangered species.