Environmental cues for natural reproduction of the C hinese sturgeon, A cipenser sinensis G ray, 1835, in the Y angtze R iver, C hina

Summary For effective conservation, it is important to explore the environmental cues initiating the spawning activities of a fish species. Based on monitoring data gathered between 1998 and 2011, the relationships between spawning activities of the C hinese sturgeon, A cipenser sinensis , and several environmental cues were analyzed using the rare events logistic regression ‘ R elogit’ method, which indicated that water temperature, 1‐day ∆‐discharge, and atmospheric pressure were among the key spawning cues for A .  sinensis (P   <   0.05). It is suggested that C hinese sturgeon might have an optimal environment window of 17–20°C water temperature, high day‐to‐day discharge increase, and low atmospheric pressure for spawning. In support of C hinese sturgeon reproduction, suggested modifications to the operational procedures for the Three G orges R eservoir ( TGR ) to trigger spawning are: lowering the downstream water temperature to below 20°C before mid‐October and expanding the period with water temperatures of between 17 and 20°C; to create a day‐to‐day intermittent increase in the discharge to an optimal spawning water temperature; and to regulate flow at nights with a low atmospheric pressure.