| The conservation on inland-water fish diversity of China is facing a very serious situation under the pressures from rapid economic developments and environment changes. In the present study, based on recent field records (2008-2011), the specimen information of major domestic fish collections (1920-2010), as well as fish collecting information contained in historical documents (1758-2010), a few databases have been constructed aiming at fish species diversity. Meantime, the distribution data of Chinese inland-water fishes have been captured, transferred and run by GIS geographic information software. With the combination of some environment databases (including temperature, precipitation and population density of human beings), the relationship with species diversity, endemism and endangered species of inland-water fishes have been discussed. The conservation hotspots have been confirmed and future strategies for constructions of protected areas have been suggested. Detailed results were showed in the following aspects:(1) Based on the construction and analysis of references database, the history of modern ichthyology in China has been reviewed firstly. The history of modern ichthyology could be divided into 5 periods: periods of study of foreign scholars, study of Chinese scholars, affect of war, recovery and rapid development. There are some representative researches and innovations in different periods.(2) Species database of inland-water fishes has been constructed. The number of total valid species has been counted. Till to the end of 2010, there were a total of 1,283 valid species (subspecies) including 29 introduced species, which belong to 291 genera, 49 families and 16 orders. Native inland-water fish species were 1,254 species (subspecies) including 16 migratory species, belonging to 279 genera, 42 families and 15 orders. Among them, there were 828 endemic species, belonging to 176 genera (46 endemic genera), 23 families and 7 orders, accounting for 66.03% of the total number of inland-water fishes. A total of 245 species were endangered species, belonging to 108 genera, 28 families and 10 orders, accounting for about 20% of total inland-water fishes. Moreover, the number of endemic species was accounted for more than 80% of the total number of endangered species.In addition, the species compositions at different taxonomic levels have been analyzed. A total of 952 species (including subspecies) are in Cypriniformes, accounting for 75.92% of total inland-water fishes of China, the most abundant among the orders. Next most abundant are Siluriformes and Perciformes separately. At family level, Cyprinidae is the most abundant, including 636 species (subspecies) and a total of 70.52%. At the genus level, 89 species are found for Triplophysa, accounting for 7.10% of total inland-water fishes in China. Three families including Cranoglanididae, Polyodontidae and Amblycipitidae are with the highest level of endemism. Acipenseriformes is the order with highest endangered degree.(3) The distribution database of inland-water fishes has been created. GIS-based analysis of patterns of species diversity of inland-water fishes showed high species diversity were distributed at the south of the Qinling Mountains - Huaihe River, east of Hengduanshan mountain regions. Four regions including the Sichuan Basin, middle and lower streams of Yangtze River and their adjacent waters, the Pearl River and Hainan Island were the highest level of species diversity. The main regions including intersection of the Jinshajiang River and Yalongjiang River, upper Yangtze River, Dongting Lake and the nearby section of the river, Hongshuihe tributary (Nanpanjiang, Hongshuihe and Liujiang) of the Xijiang River Basin are the highest endemism level. The upper stream of Yellow River, Yangtze River, Lancangjiang River, Nujiang River and Pearl River, Tarim, Brahmaputra and Taiwan Island show high percentage of endemic species. On the basis of GIS, areas of highest level of endangered are upper Yangtze River and Hongshuihe tributary (Nanpanjiang, Hongshuihe and Liujiang) of Xijiang River Basin. There are a high proportion of endangered species in the upper stream of Yellow River, Yangtze River, Lancangjiang River, Nujiang River and Pearl River, Irtysh, Tarim, Brahmaputra, downstream of Heilongjiang River and east of Taiwan.Pattern of endemic species is basically consistent with pattern of species richness, the place with more endemic species is often with high level of species richness. However, the differences show that lower Yangtze River and its adjacent rivers and Hainan with most inland-water fish but without most endemic species. This phenomenon may be related wih geographical environment and geological history. Amur River, Yalu River and lower Lancangjiang River with lowest number of endemic species, but the number of fish species is not lowest. This situation may be because these rivers are international rivers. Pattern of endangered species is coincidence with pattern of endemic species.(4) The relationship between the distribution patterns of species diversity and environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation, and especially, population density of human beings which represents the environmental pressures coming from people in some senses. The species richness is increasing with the increasing of temperature or precipitation. The relationship between species richness and population density indicates that the level of species richness is also low when population density is low, then species richness increases with population density increasing until population density reaches maximum capacity of the environment, and then population density decreases with population density goes to increase.(5) On the basis of distribution patterns of inland-water fish species richness, endemic and endangered fishes of China, the hotspots were identified respectively. According to the overlap of hotspots of the species richness, endemism and endangered, the most hotspots are main four regions including: Minjiang River and intersection of the Minjiang River and the Yangtze River, junction of Jialingjing River and the Yangtze River, section between Yichang City and the Dongting Lake of middle Yangtze River and the Hongshuihe River tributaries (Nanpanjiang River, Hongshuihe River, Liujiang River and Xunjiang River) of Xijiang River Basin. Besides the most hotspots, the overlap of hotspots of species richness and endemic species include Jialingjiang River of upper Yangtze River Basin, Dongting Lake on the maddle Yangtze River and Poyang Lake on the lower Yangtze River; overlap of hotspots of species richness and endangered species is only in lower Lancangjiang River; overlap of hotspots of endemic species and endangered species are intersection of Jinshajing River and Yalongjiang River. The hotspots will provide a guided help for future conservation acts. (6) This study also analyzed the status of 338 nature reserves with rare and endangered fishes involving waters of China. The status of nature reserves are unbalanced distribution in east and west China, the size of poor planning, the levels of some aquatic wildlife nature reserves have to be enhanced, as well as there is still insufficient on the nature reserces. The aquatic wildlife nature reserves of inland-water fishes have covered the hotspots except Hainan Island. However, there are also two forest ecosystem nature reserves in Hainan, so Hainan has been taken some protective measures. The aquatic wildlife nature reserves have not yet involved relatively specific and endangered status of the region higher including upper streams of Yellow River, Lancangjiang River and Nujiang River, as well as middle and lower of Brahmaputra, relatively specific status of the region higher including upper stream of Tarim and relatively endangered status of the region higher including Irtysh and middle and south Taiwan. However, these regions have established national or provincial nature reserves including forest ecological, wildlife or inland wetland nature reserves. Priority areas for conservation were suggested to be planned in the appropriate section of upper stream of Jinshajiang and Brahmaputra, as well as middle stream of Tarim should be priority to establish nature reserves. |
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