| Chinese Sturgeon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Range | China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Acipenseriformes |
| Family | Acipenseridae |
| Genus | Acipenser |
| Species | A. sinensis |
| Conservation Status | |
 Critically Endangered | |
The Chinese Sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is a critically endangered member of the family Acipenseridae. It is considered to be critically endangered due to overfishing and the loss of natural habitats.
Description[]
Chinese Sturgeons can range from 2m to 5m in length and weigh between 200 to 500 kg, ranking them the largest living sturgeon species in the world.
Habitat and Distribution[]
The Chinese Sturgeon are native to China. They are normally found in the Yangtze River and other coastal areas of various rivers. Adult sturgeons typically mirgrate to upper streams of the Yangtze River for breeding. However due to the construction of the Gezhouba Dam in the 1980s and other construction projects, many river streams have been blocked off and the estimated number of Chinese Sturgeons spawned per year had dropped from 2,000 to several hundred.
Chinese Sturgeons are also highly sensitive to loud noises caused by the increased tourism and growing river traffic, resulting in an increase in number of deaths due to injuries by boat propellers.
Conservation[]
The Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences has been actively researching ways to breed and preserve the endangered species. Although some success has been claimed by the authorities, their survey results caused concern that the over polluted and crowded Yangtze River may not be habitable for the Chinese Sturgeons anymore. In 2006, 600 young sturgeons were surveyed and only 14 of them survived until the next survey in 2007.