Where is the Chinese sturgeon mainly distributed, how long does it live, and what does it eat?
The Chinese sturgeon, also known as the yellow sturgeon, is an important wild protected animal in China. Because of its high medicinal value and scientific research value, it is widely bred in captivity, but to breed the Chinese sturgeon well, it is necessary to understand its living characteristics. So where is the Chinese sturgeon mainly distributed? How long can it live? What does it eat to grow up?
Where is it distributed?
The Chinese sturgeon lives in large rivers and offshore seas. It is a bottom-dwelling fish and is migratory or semi-migratory. In spring and summer, from May to June, it likes to gather in estuaries, and in autumn it swims upstream to the upper reaches of rivers. In ancient times it was said: “The sturgeon comes from the deep waters of the Jiang, Huai, Yellow River, and Liaohai”, and “its dwelling is among piled rocks and turbulent currents”.
It is mainly distributed in China, Japan, South Korea, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and North Korea.
The Chinese sturgeon is the only species in the order Acipenseriformes that crosses the Tropic of Cancer. It was once mainly distributed in the coastal areas south of the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and in major rivers. In China, it occurs in the main stream of the Yangtze River from below the Jinsha River to the estuary, and occasionally appears in other river systems such as the Gan River, Xiang River, Min River, Qiantang River, and Pearl River system, with more produced in the Yangtze River.
How long can it live?
The Chinese sturgeon has a relatively long life cycle, with a maximum lifespan of up to 40 years. It is a first-class key protected wild animal in China and also a living fossil, known as the “giant panda in the water”. It has high scientific research, medicinal, and ornamental value.
What does it eat to grow up?
It is an omnivorous fish that mainly feeds on animal food, primarily eating some small or slow-moving benthic animals, including shrimp, crabs, fish, mollusks, and aquatic insects. The types of food also vary depending on the living environment. Juvenile fish in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River mainly feed on chironomid larvae, dragonfly larvae, mayfly larvae, and plant debris. By the time the juvenile fish reach the brackish waters of the estuary, they feed on shrimp, crabs, and small fish. During the spawning migration, parent fish do not feed. In the offshore waters outside the Yangtze River estuary, the feeding intensity of the Chinese sturgeon increases, usually at levels 3-4, and the food is mainly fish and crabs, as well as shrimp and cephalopods.