Considering the decreasing wild population of Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis), artificial propagation and stock enhancement seem to be the best methods for preserving and maintaining populations of this species, and second filial generation Chinese sturgeons have become the main released group. However, knowledge of the details of catadromous migration was insufficient. Ultrasonic telemetry tracking was carried out from Yichang to Jiangyin in 2015-2021, with a total of 318 Chinese sturgeons selected for tagging and tracking. The results showed that the monitoring station passing percentage (MSPP) gradually decreased with increasing migration distance. The average MSPP of Jiangyin was 52.54%, peaking at 73.3% in 2019. Released sturgeons rapidly adapted to the natural environment of the Yangtze River, starting their migration within 0.9~2.1h after release and reaching Jiangyin section as early as 11.3d. The average migration speed was 77.47 (±5.84) km/day. These results provide crucial scientific evidence for evaluating release effectiveness and enhancing life cycle data documentation of Chinese sturgeons in the Yangtze River. The study demonstrates that artificial release programs constitute a practical and effective conservation strategy for this species.
 

Chinese sturgeon; ultrasonic telemetry tracking; migration; artificial release