Biology and life history of Dabry's sturgeon, Acipenser dabryanus, in the Yangtze River

Dabry's sturgeon, Acipenser dabryanus, is a relatively small (130 cm, 16 kg) and now rare sturgeon restricted to the Yangtze River Basin. It behaves as a resident freshwater fish, does not undertake long distance migrations (except for spawning), and lives in a variety of habitats. It historically spawned in the upper Yangtze River, but the spawning sites are unknown. Acipenser dabryanus reaches maturity earlier than do other Chinese sturgeons, which gives the species aquaculture potential, and artificial spawning has been carried out. However, the native population in the Yangtze has sharply declined in the last two decades due to overfishing, pollution and habitat alteration and destruction, especially since the construction of the Gezhouba Dam, which was built in 1981 across the Yangtze River at Yichang, Hubei Province. Since 1981, Dabry's sturgeon rarely occurs below the Gezhouba Dam because downstream movements are blocked. Clearly, conservation of Dabry's sturgeon must be emphasized. Conservation methods may include protecting habitats, controlling capture and stock replenishment.     

几种鲟鱼基因组大小、倍体的特性及鲟形目细胞进化的探讨

采用Ｆｅｕｌｇｅｎ－显微分光光度计方法,以鸡红细胞为标准ＤＮＡ（３．２２ｐｇ／２Ｃ）测定了长江白鲟、达氏鲟、中华鲟、史氏鲟和北美匙吻鲟的体细胞基因组大小（ＤＮＡ含量）。结果表明,上述五种鲟鱼ＤＮＡ含量分别为４．１１、８．２６、９．０７、６．０７和３．９６ｐｇ。长江白鲟和北美匙吻鲟均属于四倍体鱼类,分布在长江水系的中华鲟和达氏鲟两种鲟属鱼类为八倍体类型。史氏鲟初步判断为八倍体,据分析可能存在四倍体的     

长江中华鲟繁殖群体资源现状的初步研究

根据1994—1998年获得的246尾标本,对中华鲟繁殖群体的性比、性腺发育成熟个体比例、年龄结构、体长和体重特征等进行了研究。并结合历史资料,对其种群资源现状进行评价,提出了相应的资源保护措施建议。     

中华鲟(Acipenser sinensis)及相关种类的mtDNA控制区串联重复序列及其进化意义

采用 PCR技术和 DNA测序技术 ,发现了我国一级珍稀保护动物中华鲟 ( Acipensersinensis)线粒体 DNA( mt DNA)的控制区 ( D- loop)存在数目不等的串联重复序列 ,该重复序列造成了中华鲟广泛的异质性现象 .从分子水平进行了不同类型重复序列变化规律的研究 ,同时还初探了重复序列在我国其它几种鲟鱼类的存在情况 ,发现在白鲟 ( Psephurus gladius)、达氏鲟 ( A.dabryanus)和史氏鲟 ( A.schrenckii)均存在类似的重复序列结构 .序列比较分析表明 ,不同鲟鱼类重复序列在鲟鱼类进化过程中扮演着一定的角色 ,很有可能碱基差异大小与它们的亲缘关系的远近呈正相关 .     

Variation in the suitability of Chinese sturgeon spawning habitat after construction of dams on the Yangtze River

The Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is an anadromous fish inhabiting the Yangtze River. Migration of Chinese sturgeon from the estuary to upper Yangtze River was blocked by Gezhou Dam, completed in 1981, and a new, much smaller, spawning ground was established below the dam. However, Three Gorges Dam began operating in 2003, altering hydrological conditions in the new spawning grounds and the impact on Chinese sturgeon reproduction was severe. The annual survey of Chinese sturgeon shows that both spawning scale and breeding population decreased during this period. To illustrate the impact of Three Gorges Dam on the spawning grounds and reproduction of Chinese sturgeon, the habitat suitability of spawning grounds on spawning day was simulated using River2D. Results show that the area of suitable spawning grounds positively correlates with the scale of reproduction and both have decreased sharply since 2003.     

中华鲟天然群体蛋白质水平遗传多样性贫乏的初步证据

为阐明我国Ⅰ级珍稀水生保护动物中华鲟天然群体的遗传结构和遗传多样性特征,为其资源的监测量民保护提供科学依据,采用聚丙烯酰胺梯度凝胶电泳技术对中华鲟天然群体进行了蛋白质遗传多态性研究。共研究了１５种蛋白质,有４种蛋白无活呈活性很低,在有活性的１１种蛋白中人测得２６个座位;在２６个座位中,只有１个座位（ＭＤＨ－１）为多态座位。中华鲟多态座位比例（Ｐ）为３．９０％,遗传杂合度（Ｈ）为０．０４,均远远低于     

Effects of damming on population sustainability of Chinese sturgeon, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser sinensis</Emphasis>: evaluation of optimal conservation measures

The numbers of spawning sites for Chinese sturgeon have been drastically reduced since the construction of the Gezhouba Dam across the Yangtze River. This dam has blocked migration of Chinese sturgeon to their historic spawning ground causing a significant decline of the Chinese sturgeon population. We conducted a VORTEX population viability analysis to estimate the sustainability of the population and to quantify the efficiency of current and alternative conservation procedures. The model predicted the observed decline of Chinese sturgeon, resulting from the effect of the Gezhouba Dam. These simulations demonstrated the potential interest of two conservation measures: increasing spawning area and reducing predation on sturgeon eggs. The simulations also demonstrated that the actual restocking program is not sufficient to sustain sturgeon population as the artificial reproduction program induce the loss of more wild mature adults that the recruitment expected by the artificial reproduction.     

中华鲟的性腺发育与退化问题研究

中华鲟(Acipenser sinensis) 是我国的一级重点保护野生动物, 也是长江水生动物保护的旗舰物种。近年来, 中华鲟已多次被监测到未进行野外自然繁殖, 其生存前景堪忧。有关其没有繁殖的原因存在多方面的争议, 尤其是黄真理等提出葛洲坝水利枢纽修建造成中华鲟性腺退化严重, 是导致中华鲟种群数量急剧减少的主要因素; 同时, 还宣称“中科院水生所有关否定中华鲟性腺退化的方法和材料, 是不充分和不可靠的”。为了避免该错误观点对中华鲟的保护造成误导, 文章从中华鲟的性腺发育过程及退化的判断标准、中华鲟的生活史阶段及性腺状态、葛洲坝与三峡工程对中华鲟繁殖影响等方面, 分析该观点的谬误之处。柯福恩等将正常发育的中华鲟III期性腺误判为是“退化性腺”; 文章认为刚进入长江不久的中华鲟亲鱼即出现性腺退化, 不符合中华鲟性腺发育的规律。多年监测数据显示, 葛洲坝水利枢纽导致中华鲟洄游距离缩短并没有改变中华鲟繁殖的时间格局, 也没有改变中华鲟性腺成熟的比例。黄真理等歪曲他人实际监测的数据, 提出的洄游距离影响中华鲟性腺发育的模型纯粹是不懂鱼类生物学的人玩弄的数学游戏。尽管现阶段中华鲟的保护确实遇到了困境, 但随着“长江十年禁渔”的实施, 电捕和滚钩等彻底取缔, 限制产卵场区域人类活动, 加强中华鲟野外产卵场的修复, 并进行更大规格、更大规模的群体放流, 中华鲟的种群还是有可能恢复的。     

Assessing the effect of Separation Levee Project on Chinese sturgeon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipensor sinensis</Emphasis>) spawning habitat suitability in Yangtze River,China

Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is a protected anadromous fish species. The migration pattern of the fish has been blocked by the construction of Gezhouba Dam, reducing the natural spawning site length to less than 7 km along the Yangtze River. However, the fish has since established an alternative spawning ground in the narrow reach downstream of Gezhouba Dam. To enhance navigation, a Separation Levee Project (SLP) was implemented in the new-found spawning habitat of the fish. To therefore evaluate the effect of the SLP on Chinese sturgeon spawning habitat suitability, the conditions in the spawning habitat were simulated using River2D (a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model). Two main approaches (habitat kinetic energy and circulation metrics) were used in the simulation. The study showed that SLP only slightly changed the physical conditions in the spawning habitat. Using hydrodynamic simulation, the weighted usable area (WUA) before and after the SLP construction was also computed and habitat preference curve developed for water depth and velocity. On the average, SLP reduced WUA—a finding that was consistent with field-measured data. Based on WUA, the habitat conditions were more sensitive to SLP proximity than metrics based on velocity gradients. SLP posed detrimental impacts on the suitability of spawning habitats of Chinese sturgeon. The findings in this study provide further basis for the protection and restoration of Chinese sturgeon spawning habitats in especially the lower reach of Yangtze River.     

中华鲟的保护生物学研究进展

中华鲟是一种洄游性的鲟科鱼类,平时生活于海洋,亲鲟成熟后溯游到江河里繁殖。在长江葛洲坝修筑以前,中华鲟产卵场位于长江上游和金沙江下游江段。６０－７０年代中期,一些科研单位对上游中华鲟繁殖群体及产卵场等进行了较为全面的调查,撰写出现敢《长江鲟鱼类生物学与人工繁殖研究》,中华鲟的人工繁殖也于１９７１年产首获成功。葛洲坝枢纽建成以后,中华鲟繁殖群体被阻隔于葛洲坝下游宜昌江段,围绕大坝对中华鲟生存带来的不