Threatened fishes of the world: Acipenser schrenckii Brandt, 1869 (Acipenseridae)

Abstract

Common name: Amur sturgeon (English). Conservation status: Endangered—IUCN Red List, Classified under Appendix II of CITES, Endangered—China Species Red List. Identification: D 35–54, A 19–33, P 35, V 25. Five rows of scutes: D 11–19, L 30–47, V 4–11. Gill rakers: 31–48 (Zhang 1995). Triangular head, inferior and small mouth elongated and depressed snout, two pairs of barbels (Yue and Chen 1998). There are two distinct morphs of Amur sturgeon: brown and grey (Krykhtin and Svirskii 1997). Figure from Wei et al. (1997). Distribution: The species is distributed throughout the Amur River basin, as well as the Ussuri and Sungari (Songhuajiang) rivers, and also can be found in Japan due to the possibility of anadromous migration (Shmigirilov et al. 2007). Abundance: Declining dramatically from the 1930s, with natural stock unknown as yet. Habitat and ecology: A typical benthic feeder. Feeds on bottom invertebrates and mollusks, as well as small fishes (Shmigirilov et al. 2007). Dwells in the middle to lower layers of deep eddy currents. Reproduction: Late sexual maturity (7–24 years). Spawning period from late May to early July. Fecundity ranges from 114 000 to 1 292 000 with mean of 385 000 (Zhang 1995). Threats: Stock has been destroyed by illegal poaching and overfishing (Yue and Chen 1998). Contamination of the Amur River and its tributaries is also a potential threat. Conservation action: Local regulations for the protection, enacted in the 1950s and renewed in 1982, and conservation efforts by China in 1998 were insufficient to prevent stock decline. Collaboration and cooperation between China and Russia play a crucial role in Amur sturgeon conservation. Conservation recommendations: Fishing regulations must be strictly implemented, with emphasis on fishing prohibition period and areas. Artificial hatching and releasing of raised young Amur sturgeons into rivers should be considered.