Syrdarya shovel sturgeon
| Syrdarya shovel sturgeon | ||||||||||||
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Syrdarja shovel sturgeon ( Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi | ||||||||||||
| ( Kessler , 1872) |
The Syr Darya sturgeon ( Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi ) is probably extinct species from the family of sturgeons (Acipenseridae). It is endemic to the Syr Darya in Central Asia.
features
The Syrdarja shovel sturgeon, like the other shovel sturgeon, has a spindle-shaped body with a widened front and a wide, flat spatula-shaped snout. Like the small Amu Darya shovel sturgeon ( Pseudoscaphirhynchus kaufmanni ) it only reaches a body length of 20.7 to 27 centimeters, with the filament of the caudal fin up to 36 centimeters. The snout has no spines and is longer than that of the two Amu Darya shovel sturgeons. Their length varies significantly between the different morphs . The five rows of bone scales typical of sturgeon run along the body, although these are more numerous than in the Amu Darya species. The row along the back has 15 to 22 shields with 4 to 5 other small shields behind the 30 to 34-rayed dorsal fin . The side rows count 37 to 46 and the belly rows 6 to 11 shields. The pectoral fins are folded up on their outer edge. The anal fin has 19 to 20 rays, in front of it are 4 to 5, and behind it another 1 to 5 small shields.
Historically, three morphs could be distinguished. The common morph had a long snout and no filament on the caudal fin, the brevirostris morphs had a shorter snout and a long filament on the upper lobe of the caudal fin, and the intermedia morphs had a medium-length snout and a medium-length filament.
Occurrence and way of life
The species is endemic to the Syr Darya and used to inhabit the lower and middle sections of the river. Almost nothing is known about the way of life. Adult animals mainly feed on insect larvae that live on the ground. The spawning season is in April.
Threat and protection
The Syrdarya shovel sturgeon is threatened primarily by the destruction of its habitat. The last record of the species is from 1960 so it is effectively likely extinct. It is listed in Appendix II of the Washington Convention on Endangered Species and Appendix II of the Bonn Convention and classified in the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered .
swell
- Vadim J. Birstein: Threatened fishes of the world: Pseudoscaphirhynchus spp. (Acipenseridae) . In: Environmental Biology of Fishes . tape 48 , 1997, pp. 381-383 (English).
- Minister of Supply and Services Canada: CITES Identification Guide - Sturgeons and Paddlefish: Guide to the Identification of Sturgeon and Paddlefish Species Controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora . Wildlife Enforcement and Intelligence Division, Environment Canada, 2001, ISBN 0-660-61641-6 (English, French, Spanish, full text (PDF; 10.9 MB)).
- Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2010. Posted by: Mugue, N., 2010. Accessed November 4, 2012 Design.
- Syrdarja shovel sturgeon on Fishbase.org (English)