Threatened fishes of the world: Coreius septentrionalis (Nichols, 1925) (Cyprinidae)

Abstract

Common name: Pigeon fish (Chinese). Conservation status: Threatened in China Red Data Book (Yue and Chen 1998) and China Species Red List (Wang and Xie 2004). Identification: A freshwater fish; long cylindrical body, small and slightly flattened head, horseshoe-shaped mouth with sharp and prominent lips, a pair of rough long barbels, small round eyes with red iris (Li 1990). Lateral line scales 55–56, D: 3, 7; P: 1, 18; V: 1, 7; A: 3, 6 (Wu et al. 1964). This illustration is from Chinese Cyprinidae Records (Wu et al. 1964). Distribution: Only found in the Yellow River in China. Habitat and ecology: Lives in the middle layer of the river, where the water flow is moderate and with a lot of gravel on the substrate (Peng 2007). Reproduction: Mature adults migrate upstream to breed in the spawning grounds in areas with fast currents in May to July. Threats: Populations have declined seriously due to overfishing and water pollution (Li 1990). Conservation action: No specific action has been adopted for this fish. Conservation recommendation: Water pollution should be controlled; spring fishing prohibition period should be adopted; artificial breeding and hatching should be attempted; and protection of fish resources should be progressively achieved.