Freshwater fishes of China: species richness, endemism, threatened species and conservation

Abstract

Aim To compile an inventory of freshwater fish species in China, and to investigate these data to determine spatial patterns in species richness, endemism and threatened species for the purpose of facilitating conservation. Location China Methods Literature, databases and fish collections were examined to create an inventory database of freshwater fishes of China. This list was analysed to determine species richness, endemism and threatened species. spss and origin software were used to determine relationships between these three parameters across the area and length of river basins. Coefficients of fish diversity for each major river were calculated using the Gleason Index. Results Chinese freshwater fish fauna is comprised of 1323 species; the majority of species belong to Cypriniformes and Cyprinidae. Of 877 species endemic to China, 161 of 199 threatened species are endemic, with most classified as ‘endangered’ (85 species) or ‘vulnerable’ (70). Species endemism and the number of threatened species correlate positively with species richness. River basin area and length have no direct bearing on either species richness or endemism. The Pearl River was identified as the most species‐rich system. It also has the most endemic and threatened fish species. Main conclusions China's vast size, variable geography and climate influence patterns in species diversity and endemism. Its freshwater fish fauna is rich and largely endemic and a significant number of these endemic species are threatened. Dam construction, water pollution, overfishing and invasive species pose threats to native biodiversity. National assessment of threatened species is urgently needed. The Yangtze, Yellow and Pearl rivers require prioritized national protection. Environmental effects of development require serious consideration and, potentially, proactive conservation efforts and mitigation. Development on international rivers needs to consider environmental policies of all countries owning spans of the systems, particularly the wishes and concerns of nations with lower spans of a system.

Species invasions threaten the antiquity of China's freshwater fish fauna

“…Currently, 20% of finfishes with highest aquaculture production (> 25 000 t year À1 ) are foreign to China and some dominate present-day fish communities in southern China (Wang et al, 2014;Xing et al, 2015). Additionally, we found that translocated species are also the important contributor to future homogenization, highlighting the urgent need to better understand the geographic routes of domestic translocations and identifying management strategies for reducing secondary spread.…”

“…However, due to intensifying economic growth, China is currently facing a biodiversity crisis of unparalleled magnitude (Xie et al, 2001;Liu & Diamond, 2005). Freshwater fish are among the most imperilled taxa, threatened by dam construction, land degradation and water pollution (Kang et al, 2013b;Xing et al, 2015). Freshwater fish are among the most imperilled taxa, threatened by dam construction, land degradation and water pollution (Kang et al, 2013b;Xing et al, 2015).…”

Factors influencing tropical Island freshwater fishes: species, status, threats and conservation in Hainan Island

“…There have been over 1300 freshwater fish species listed in China (Xing et al, 2016). The present study revealed that a total of 154 freshwater fish species (138 native and 16 non-native species), belonging to 10 orders, 31 families and 104 genera are found on Hainan Island.…”

“…They cover less than 1% of the earth's surface, yet support over 10% of the species (Strayer and Dudgeon, 2010) and are regarded to be in a state of crisis (Vörösmarty et al, 2010),with higher proportion of species threatened with extinction here than in their terrestrial and marine counterparts (Strayer and Dudgeon, 2010).The main threats to freshwater biodiversity include: overexploitation, water pollution, flow modification, habitat degradation, and non-native species (Dudgeon et al, 2006). Consistent with other regions of China, inland fisheries are an important threat to the freshwater fish of Hainan Island (Xing et al, 2016). In 2014, the freshwater fisheries of Hainan harvested 22 073 tons, which is 15 times more than that of 26 years earlier.…”

“…China is one of the countries with the greatest freshwater fish diversity (Xing et al, 2016). However, most studies on Chinese freshwater fishes focus on fish diversity of only a few large rivers, for example the Yangtze River (Fu et al, 2003) and Mekong River (Kang et al, 2009).…”