Chinese Sturgeon

Acipenser sinensis

Photo: Chinese sturgeons in an aquarium

A pair of Chinese sturgeons swim in the Beijing City Aquarium in China. Capable of weighing half a ton and growing to 16 feet (5 meters) long, this freshwater leviathan is one of the largest sturgeon species on Earth. River damming in China has caused its numbers to plummet, and it is listed as an endangered species.

Photograph courtesy Zeb Hogan

Map

Map: Chinese sturgeon range

Fast Facts

Type:
Fish
Diet:
Carnivore
Average life span in the wild:
50 to 60 years
Size:
Up to 16 ft (5 m)
Weight:
Up to 1,000 lbs (450 kg)
Group name:
Shoal
Protection status:
Endangered
Size relative to a bus:
Illustration: Chinese sturgeon compared with bus

Chinese sturgeons are seasoned travelers, undertaking a round-trip journey of some 2,000 miles (3,500 kilometers) every year from the East China Sea to their spawning grounds in the Yangtze River.

But in recent years this ancient cycle has been blocked by the Gezhouba Dam, built in the 1980s. Since that time subsequent dams have placed new, possibly insurmountable, hurdles in the sturgeons' upstream path and thrown the future of the species into serious doubt.

Heavy shipping traffic, overfishing, and water pollution have also plagued Yangtze River waters and taken a heavy toll on these aquatic behemoths. Some scientists think fewer than a thousand individuals may remain.

Chinese sturgeons can grow to enormous proportions, with large specimens topping 16 feet (5 meters) and 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms). These prehistoric-looking giants have a sharklike form, with large pectoral fins, a rounded snout, and rows of pronounced ridges running the length of their spine and flanks.

Chinese officials have made efforts to safeguard the sturgeon, including curtailed fishing and the creation of a conservation area below the Gezhouba Dam to serve as an alternative spawning ground. They've also attempted to replenish the fish's dwindling numbers by breeding millions of fry in captivity and releasing them into their native rivers. So far such efforts have met with little success.

Sturgeons may face long odds, but the fish has survival in its genes. Sturgeons have lived in the Yangtze for perhaps 140 million years, and this relic of the dinosaur era is sometimes dubbed a "living fossil."

Some reports suggest the sturgeon may already be adapting to its changing environment. Studies suggest its diet is shifting from less abundant bottom dwellers, like clams, to more plentiful earthworms.

Share

Email

More »

Freshwater Videos

More Megafishes

Freshwater News

More Freshwater News »

Your Water IQ

Environment Photos

Help Save the Colorado River

You can help restore freshwater ecosystems by pledging to cut your water footprint. For every pledge, Change the Course will restore 1,000 gallons back to the Colorado River.


Freshwater Advocates

  • sandra new headshot.jpg

    Sandra Postel

    Sandra is a leading authority on international freshwater issues and is spearheading our global freshwater efforts.

  • Photo: Jon Waterman at the end of the Colorado River

    Jonathan Waterman

    He's paddled the Colorado River from its headwaters to the delta, in an effort to bring awareness to this mighty river at risk.

  • Photo: Osvel Hinojosa Huerta

    Osvel Hinojosa Huerta

    For more than 15 years, Osvel Hinojosa Huerta has been resurrecting Mexico's Colorado River Delta wetlands.

For More Inspiration »

Blogs

Explore Freshwater

Test Your Water IQ

Newsletters

More From National Geographic