[Creation and Cultivation Program] The Chinese sturgeon appeared in the market. Is it illegal?

Author: Tang Naiqing Yuqing

Scientific Advisor: Yang Hualian Beijing Fisheries Technology Extension Station

Ma Guoqing Institute of Fisheries Sciences, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences

The Chinese sturgeon is familiar to everyone, it is a first-class protected animal in China. However, we can see the phenomenon of buying and selling "Chinese sturgeons" in some supermarkets, vegetable markets or restaurants. Many young readers can't help but ask, "Someone is selling Chinese sturgeons in the market. Is it real Chinese sturgeon? Isn't the Chinese sturgeon a protected animal? How can it be bought and sold so casually?"

The Chinese sturgeon is definitely not edible.

In fact, what is sold on the market is basically not the real Chinese sturgeon, but artificially bred commercial fish such as hybrid sturgeon. Some businesses use the gimmick of Chinese sturgeon to sell and deceive customers. If the Chinese sturgeon is really sold, it must be illegal, because the Chinese sturgeon is an endangered and rare wild animal in the world. In the newly adjusted "National Key Protected Wildlife List" jointly issued by the State Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2021, it and the Dabry's Acipenser and the white sturgeon are listed as national first-class protected animals, while the Siberian sturgeon, the small-sterlet sturgeon, the Acipenser schrenckii, etc. are listed as national second-class protected animals. In short, it is at the same level as the giant panda and the golden monkey.

As a national first-class protected animal, the Chinese sturgeon is prohibited from being sold or eaten, whether it is wild or artificially cultivated. In other words, there is no such thing as a so-called cultivated Chinese sturgeon, so the so-called "Chinese sturgeon" on the market is not real, because it is illegal. If you have a delicious meal of "Chinese sturgeon", then there are only two possible conclusions: one is that you have violated the law; the other is that you have eaten a fake. No buying and selling, no killing, put an end to the consumption of wild animals, they do not belong on the table, don't test the law yourself.

Other wild sturgeons, such as Acipenser dabryanus and Acipenser schrenckii, are basically first- and second-class protected animals in China and are not allowed to be eaten. However, if the second generation of wild purebred sturgeons are approved and bred using artificial breeding technology, they are allowed to be sold and used and can be served on the table. For example, farmed hybrid sturgeons and Siberian sturgeons can be eaten.

Although farmed commercial fish can be eaten, sturgeons cannot be farmed casually. To domesticate and breed sturgeons, you need to hold an "Aquatic Wildlife Artificial Breeding Permit" issued by the state before you can farm them. Units and individuals engaged in the management and sale of sturgeons must also obtain an "Aquatic Wildlife Management and Utilization Permit."

From ancient times to the present, there are more and more family branches of sturgeons, and there are many species. In addition to the Chinese sturgeon, there are also Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii, Sterlet sturgeon, Dabryan sturgeon, and Acipenser spatholobus. my country is one of the countries in the world with the most sturgeon species, the widest distribution, and the richest resources. There are 27 species in the world, and 8 species live in Chinese waters, accounting for nearly one-third. The sturgeons sold in the market are all economic fish species that are artificially raised. Because sturgeons are very similar in appearance, it is difficult for non-professionals to distinguish them, and they are often confused, so some merchants use hybrid sturgeons to impersonate Chinese sturgeons.

Image source: Beijing Fisheries Technology Extension Station, copyright image, no permission to reprint

How to distinguish real and fake Chinese sturgeon

I would like to emphasize again that the so-called Chinese sturgeons on the market are all fake. Most of them are artificially cultivated hybrid sturgeons and other commercial sturgeon fish. So how can we distinguish them? Although the appearance of sturgeons is not much different, we can still see the difference in the subtle details. Moreover, in addition to appearance, different types of sturgeons also have obvious differences in color.

For example, the Chinese sturgeon and the Russian sturgeon, judging from their body shape, the difference between the upper and lower lobes of the Russian sturgeon's tail fin is relatively large, with the upper lobe being much longer than the lower lobe, while the upper lobe of the Chinese sturgeon's tail fin is only slightly longer than the lower lobe.

Secondly, the body color of the Chinese sturgeon is blue-gray, gray-brown or gray-yellow above the lateral bone plate, and gradually changes from light gray to yellow-white below the lateral bone plate; the abdomen is milky white. The head, back, dorsal fin and pelvic fin of the Russian sturgeon are blue-gray, and the abdomen is light yellow and white.

Another easily recognizable feature is the fish's head: the Chinese sturgeon's snout is more rounded and blunt, while the Russian sturgeon's snout is sharper and slightly upturned.

Image source: Beijing Fisheries Technology Extension Station, copyright image, no permission to reprint

Please remember: Never eat wild sturgeons that are listed as nationally protected!

This article is produced by the Science Popularization China-Creation Cultivation Program. Please indicate the source when reprinting