Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Acipenseriformes (Sturgeons and paddlefishes) > Polyodontidae (Paddlefishes)
Etymology: Psephurus: Greek, psephas, -aos = dark + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Subtropical

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 300 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 28581); max. published weight: 300.0 kg (Ref. 28581)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Head very long, snout extraordinarily long, pointed and paddle-like and base broad; mouth very large.

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Asia: China, endemic to the Yangtze River and its tributaries. International trade restricted (CITES II, since 1.4.98; CMS Appendix II).

Grows to 3 m in length and 300 kg in weight (Ref. 28581). Reported length of 7 m SL (Ref. 6866) and 500 kg weight (Ref. 4537, 58490) are doubtful (Paxton, pers. comm.). Piscivorous throughout most of its life. Threatened due to over harvesting and habitat loss (Ref. 58490).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott, 1991. World fishes important to North Americans. Exclusive of species from the continental waters of the United States and Canada. Am. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. (21):243 p.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

Critically Endangered (CR) (A2cd; C2a(i); D)

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial

FAO(fisheries: species profile; publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 1.2500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00505 (-0.20463 - 0.21473), b=3.10477 (2.99234 - 3.21721), based on LWR estimates for this family-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.2 ±0.73 se; Based on food items.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tm=5-15).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (87 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Unknown.

Psephurus gladius (Martens, 1862)