China
22:31, 08-Apr-2017
China releases 500 rare sturgeon bred in captivity
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About 500 captive-bred Chinese sturgeon were released on Saturday into a section of the Yangtze River in central China's Hubei Province to increase the wild population of the rare species.
The released sturgeon, aged between three and six years old, are around 110 centimeters in length and weigh about 5.5 kilograms on average.
Believed to have lived at the same time as dinosaurs, the Chinese sturgeon have existed for more than 140 million years. The species is under top national protection.
Captive-bred Chinese sturgeon were seen released into Yangtze River in central China's Hubei Province / CFP Photo
Captive-bred Chinese sturgeon were seen released into Yangtze River in central China's Hubei Province / CFP Photo
Water projects, river traffic and pollution have brought the number of wild Chinese sturgeon, which migrate to Hubei's Gezhou Dam to reproduce, from about 1,000 in 1982 to about 50, according to researchers' estimates.
Wild sturgeon, once mature, usually swim from the sea to suitable river areas to lay eggs around mid and later November.
(Source: Xinhua)