Cyprinus micristius

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	CYPRINIFORMES	CYPRINIDAE

Scientific Name:

Cyprinus micristius

Species Authority:

Regan, 1906

Common Name/s:

English

–

Dianchi Carp

Synonym/s:

Cyprinus micristius Chen and Yang, 2002

Cyprnus micristius Chen and Huang (in Wu 1977)

Mesocyprinus micristius Fang, 1936

Taxonomic Notes:

Cyprinus micristius Regan. Fang (1936) erect a new genus Mesocyprinus and assign it as the type. Chen and Huang (in Wu 1977) assign it as Cyprnus (Mesocyprinus) micristius. Chen and Yang (2002) reject the validity of Mesocyprinus and recover it as Cyprinus micristius.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv)+2ab(i,ii,iii,iv) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Chen, X.-Y. & Yang, J.

Reviewer/s:

Kullander, F. (Freshwater Fish Red List Authority) & Smith, K. (IUCN Freshwater Biodiversity Assessment Unit)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Cyprinus micristius is endemic to Lake Dianchi and its tributaries, Yunnan Province, China. It was a common commercial species in the 1960s, but it has not been caught in the main lake or been found in any fish market around the lake for the past 20 years. The main threats that caused this decline are introduced fish species, water pollution, and the loss of habitat. There may be a sub-population that has survived in Songhuaba reservoir (3.63 km²), but this needs further research.

History:

1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Indeterminate (Groombridge 1994)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Only ever known from Lake Dianchi and it tributaries. It may now only survive in Songhuaba Reservior.
Countries:	Possibly extinct: China (Yunnan)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	There is no record of this species in past few decades from Lake Dianchi. It was a common commercial species in the 1960s, but it has not been caught in the main lake or been found in any fish market around the lake for about 20 years. It may survive in Songhuaba Reservior but the population size is unknown.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It stays mostly in calm water with plenty of waterweeds. It feeds on miscellaneous food but primarily on aquatic insects, small shrimps etc. It spawns from May to July at the littoral zone on mud and sand. Its growth is slow (Wu et al. 1963, Yang and Chen 1994, Yue and Chen 1998).
Systems:	Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The reproduction and growth rate of Cyprinus micristius is low. The pollution of the lake water, overfishing and the introduction of alien fish species has caused a sharp decline in the species population.

Major Threat(s):

The reproduction and growth rate of Cyprinus micristius is low. The pollution of the lake water, overfishing and the introduction of alien fish species has caused a sharp decline in the species population.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The “Regulations on the Management of Dianchi Lake” indicates that the lake is closed to fishing in the season when this species is breeding.

Conservation Actions:

The “Regulations on the Management of Dianchi Lake” indicates that the lake is closed to fishing in the season when this species is breeding.

Citation:	Chen, X.-Y. & Yang, J. 2008. Cyprinus micristius. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2013.
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