The last giants of the Yangtze River: A multidisciplinary picture of what remains of the endemic Chinese sturgeon.
Sci Total Environ
; 843: 157011, 2022 Oct 15.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35772549
ABSTRACT
The Chinese sturgeon, an important endemism of the Yangtze River, belongs to 'the most critically endangered group of species' worldwide, with overfishing and habitat destruction being the main drivers towards extinction. Newly obtained microchemical comparisons between animals and water from different river locations revealed a probable shifting of the spawning ground few kilometers downstream compared to the only previously known site, located under the Gezhouba Dam. This offers a glimmer of hope for an adaptive response to habitat perturbation caused by the recently built Three Gorges dam on the Yangtze River. On the other hand, genetic data provide an estimate of about 20 breeders participating in the only significant breeding event of the past 10 years. This warns of a near species extinction forecast if no in situ and ex situ conservation efforts occur promptly. Given these results we propose a list of priority conservation actions that urgently need to be promoted, supported, and put into practice.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Conservación de los Recursos Naturales
/
Explotaciones Pesqueras
Límite:
Animals
País/Región como asunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Total Environ
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia