Psephurus: A Requiem
In memory of the Chinese Paddlefish, lost to the river of time.
Calculating days since goodbye...
July 21, 2022
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared the Chinese Paddlefish (Psephurus gladius) extinct.
2020
The Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute, part of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, officially declared the Chinese Paddlefish extinct.
2017-2018
The Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute conducted extensive surveys in the Yangtze River but found no Chinese Paddlefish. A 2019 paper suggested the species might be extinct, estimating extinction occurred between 2005 and 2010, and functional extinction possibly by 1993.
January 24, 2003
The last confirmed sighting of a Chinese Paddlefish. Fishermen in Nanxi County, Yibin City, accidentally caught one. It was released but never seen again.
1995
Juvenile Chinese Paddlefish were last seen.
1980s
Sightings became scarce; for example, only 32 Chinese Paddlefish were caught in 1985.
1970s
The estimated annual catch of Chinese Paddlefish was around 25 tons, indicating a once-thriving population.