On April 26, 13 naked-bellied sturgeon were officially settled in the sturgeon breeding base in Gongliu County, Xinjiang, and professionals took clear samples, marking the official start of the rescue of "animal living fossils" naked-bellied sturgeon. The naked-bellied sturgeon in the Ili River in China is on the verge of extinction, and its artificial breeding research is still in the blank.
Naked-bellied sturgeon are retrospective, carnivorous fish. Juveniles feed on insect larvae, while adult individuals feed on molluscs and fish. Its natural habitat is offshore near coasts and estuaries and in the deep extension of large rivers in freshwater.
The naked-bellied sturgeon, also known as the "sturgeon", is a fish species endemic to the Ili River. The Ili River is the only river in China where naked-bellied sturgeon grow, which is only naturally distributed in the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Aral Sea systems in Europe in the world, and its number is very small. Ili River is the largest international river in Xinjiang, its upper reaches have the Turks River, Gongnais River, Kashgar River three major tributaries, tributary river section of the water flow is turbulent, mostly pebble riverbed, is the spawning place of some fish; Ili River as a link between the Sino-Kazakh water system, due to its special geographical location, so that Hanoi fish composition natural exchange, mutual spread, showing obvious Asian and European species mixed characteristics, has been completely different from the Yangtze River system of the variety.
Naked-bellied sturgeon is a national first-class protected animal, a rare cartilaginous fish species, belonging to the "Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Convention" level II protected animals, very helpful for the study of animal evolution, by experts as "animal living fossils". Its maturation period takes 12 to 14 years. In the 1970s, the Ili River could catch dozens of tons of naked-bellied sturgeon a year, but after the 1990s, overfishing combined with neglect of management led to a sharp decline in bare-bellied sturgeon production. By 2000, fewer than 20 naked-bellied sturgeon were salvaged each year.
Over the years, with the drive of economic interests, illegal fishing personnel using electric shocks and other methods in the Ili River Basin have become increasingly rampant, and this extinct fishing method has led to a sharp decline in the number of wild fish species and the endangerment of the naked-bellied sturgeon.
As netizen @rain over azure song line called for "so many wild animals, so how to rescue it." The most important thing is to protect their habitat. Reduce human interference". The wetlands of the Ili River Basin are one of the most biodiverse areas in Xinjiang, and the protection of the "kidney of the earth", the wetland, is one of the best protection measures for the endangered naked-bellied sturgeon.
Artificial breeding research, which is still in the blank, should also be implemented urgently, do not repeat the mistakes of the white-tipped dolphin, and do not let a species drift away.