BAI Hai-xia 1, PENG Qi-dong 1, LI Chong 2, REN Jie 1

1. China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
2. China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China

Abstract: The Four Major Chinese Carps (FMCC) are the main economy fishes in China, and the Yangtze River is an important place with high-quality germplasm resources of the FMCC. However, the spawning amount and the population quality of the FMCC in the Yangtze River are in decline currently. There are many reasons to explain it, including natural and human impacts that lead to the habitat impairment. Broodstock number, water temperature, rising water and spawning grounds are major factors affecting spawning. Specific topographical and hydrodynamic conditions in spawning ground are not only important characteristics of spawning grounds, but also the direction and focus of eco-hydraulics for the FMCC's natural propagation. According to the current study, this paper gives a comprehensive analysis of the topographical and hydrodynamic characteristics of the FMCC's spawning grounds, and summarizes the topographical and hydrodynamic conditions for natural propagation. This work can provide an important reference to relevant research, and give theoretical basis and technical support for ecological restoration of the spawning grounds as well.

Key words: the Four Major Chinese Carps, spawning ground, natural propagation, topography, Hydrodynamic conditions

Published in: Journal of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (Vol. 12 No. 3, 2014)