Chinese scientists safeguard rare carp in source river of Yangtze

Chinese scientists are intensifying efforts to protect a unique carp species at the Dangqu River, one of the Yangtze River's three main sources in northwest China's Qinghai Province, as a crucial part of the nation's strategy to restore the ecosystem of its longest river, backed by a decade-long fishing prohibition.

The Schizopygopsis microcephalus, a member of the carp family, thrives as one of the highest living species in the carp family, surviving at altitudes over 5,200 meters at the Dangqu River in the harsh yet majestic environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Dangqu River, distinguished by its significant water volume compared with the Yangtze's other sources, the northern Chumar River and the main Tuotuo River, hosts six fish species native to the river's source region.

Given the area's high average altitude of over 4,500 meters and extreme conditions, temperatures can plummet to as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, and the Dangqu River's ice would stay from late November to May.

Li Wei, a senior engineer at the Yangtze River Scientific Institute, shouldered with his team the critical task of identifying the wintering ground of these resilient fish, as they were seeking to understand how the fish survive the brutal winter conditions.

Braving the plateau's unpredictable weather, Li Wei's team ventured towards the Dangqu River's origin. Amid gusts and hail, they captured a tranquil scene where rivers meet and waterfowls swam in a place less than 50 kilometers from Dangqu River’s origin.

The team's underwater camera captured a thriving shoal of Schizopygopsis microcephalus in waters with a temperature of 8.9 degrees Celsius, at depths exceeding one meter.

Further exploration revealed a riverbed bustling with benthic organisms, such as stoneflies, crucial for the diet of the Schizopygopsis microcephalus. This discovery underlines the resilience of life in one of the planet's most extreme environments.

China initiated a 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River's critical areas on January 1, 2020, extending it in 2021 to all natural waters of the Yangtze and its major tributaries, covering 332 conservation zones, marking a significant effort in the river's ecological conservation.