Threatened fishes of the world: Cyprinus qionghaiensis Liu 1981 (Cyprinidae)

Abstract

Common name: Qionghai carp. Conservation status: Endangered, China Species Red List (Wang and Xie 2004). Identification: Body length 172–228 mm. Body laterally compressed. Head large (length 33.3% of SL), its length approximately equal to body depth. Mouth large and terminal, with a pair of short barbells at corners; lips thin; eyes large (diameter 17.2% of HL). Base of dorsal fin comparatively long (31.3% of SL), origin of dorsal fin opposite to that of pelvic fin, outer edge of it markedly concave; tips of pectoral fin reach or approach origin of pelvic fins; pelvic fins inserted under anterior second branched rays of dorsal fin; anal fin inserted under posterior third or fourth branched rays of dorsal fin; caudal fin deeply forked. Last simple rays of dorsal and anal fins spined and serrated on hind margins. Body color green yellow on back, yellow-white on abdomen, golden luster on sides; orange on lower lobe of caudal fin (Liu 1981; Ding 1994; Yue 2000). Distribution: Endemic, only distributed in the Qionghai Lake of Sichuan Province (Ding 1994). Abundance: Commercial fish before 1965, but less than 5% of the total Cyprinidae fish production (Liu et al. 1988); almost extinct since 1990s (Peng 2007). Habitat and ecology: Inhabits bottom of the lake with clear water. Mainly feeds on plankton, hydrophytes, benthos and organic debris. Reproduction: Breeding habits similar to Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus; sticky eggs laid on aquatic plants in April and May. Threats: Ecological niche competition with stocked fish since 1965. Egg predation by introduced fishes. Water pollution from urbanized area near lake and increasing boat traffic for tourism in recent decade. Destructive fishing and over-fishing. Conservation action: Listed as endangered and protected in Sichuan Province. Conservation recommendations: Habitat protection, pollution control, and fishing restriction. Investigate the wild population, and initiate artificial propagation to restock the lake. Environ Biol Fish (2009) 85:49–50 DOI 10.1007/s10641-009-9459-6