At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Fish
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The Chinese sturgeon is a large, ancient migratory fish of the Yangtze. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
Dams have blocked the long upstream journeys it needs to spawn.
Range & habitat
The Yangtze River and adjacent seas of China.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Dams blocking spawning migrations
- Pollution and habitat loss
- Past overfishing
Why it matters
An ancient river giant whose migrations are cut off by dams, the Chinese sturgeon is a flagship for the embattled wildlife of the Yangtze.
Sources
Sources for Chinese Sturgeon
- IUCN Red List — look up Chinese Sturgeon (authoritative status)
- FishBase
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have dams hit the Chinese sturgeon so hard?
It must migrate far up the Yangtze to spawn; large dams block those routes, preventing natural reproduction, so the species now depends heavily on hatchery releases.
Why is the Chinese sturgeon Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite dams blocking spawning migrations, pollution and habitat loss, and past overfishing. See the IUCN Red List.
Last updated: