Work

Experimental Study on the Response Mechanisms of Drift Egg Transport and Adhesive Egg Hatching to Reservoir Impoundment in the Lower Jinsha River

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Understanding the impoundment effects of cascade reservoirs on fish reproduction is essential for the conservation and management of river ecosystems. Using the lower Jinsha River as an eco-hydraulic reference, this study conducted laboratory experiments to investigate how hydrodynamic–microtopography interactions influence the near-bed transport of drifting fish eggs and how sediment deposition affects the hatching success of adhesive demersal eggs. A predictive formula for near-bed egg drift was established, and a novel threshold for near-bed drift was proposed. In a separate set of experiments, sediment deposition was found to significantly reduce the hatching success of adhesive demersal eggs—specifically Schizothorax prenanti and Procypris rabaudi—primarily by decreasing dissolved oxygen levels (p < 0.05). These findings provide a scientific basis for improving reservoir operation strategies and mitigating the ecological impacts of sedimentation on fish reproduction in impounded rivers.

Source: Animals

DOI: 10.3390/ani15172488

Authors: Lekui Zhu, Wenchao Li, Dong Chen, Yiheng Gao, Rui Han

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shihezi University

Language: English

Topic: Fish Ecology and Management Studies

Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China