What fish from the Yangtze River, one of the largest freshwater fish, was declared extinct in 2022?

The giant Yangtze River fish declared extinct in 2022 was the Chinese paddlefish, Psephurus gladius. Also called the Chinese swordfish, it was one of the world’s largest primarily freshwater fish, with recorded specimens exceeding 3.6 meters in length.

The Chinese paddlefish was not a true sturgeon, although its common name and long, pointed snout can make that comparison tempting. It belonged to the paddlefish family and was the only species in its genus. Unlike the living American paddlefish, which filters plankton, it was a predator that ate other fish.

The species migrated between the Yangtze and coastal waters, returning upriver to spawn. Dams, fishing pressure, habitat destruction, and disrupted migration undermined that life cycle. The Gezhouba Dam, completed in 1981, blocked access to important spawning areas. The fish was last seen alive in 2003 and was considered functionally extinct by the 1990s.

Scientists concluded that it was extinct after extensive surveys failed to find it. The IUCN formally updated its status to Extinct in July 2022, although research estimated that the final disappearance probably occurred between 2005 and 2010.