Acipenser naccarii (Adriatic Sturgeon)
The Adriatic sturgeon is on the “critically endangered” list, and is indicated as being “possibly extinct,” as of a 2009 assessment (IUCN, 2017a). This is a species of sturgeon found exclusively in the Adriatic, both in fresh and sea waters. At its most robust, the species once had a range that extended as far south as Corfu, and as far inland along the Po River at its delta. It may even have been found in Spain, although evidence for this is inconclusive. The species was also located seasonally in the Venetian lagoon. There have been attempts to reintroduce the species to some areas, like Greece and also along the Po and other Italian rivers, but those efforts at population restoration have been unsuccessful. Since 1988, fish farming have successfully enabled the Adriatic sturgeon to spawn, but there is no evidence of wild spawning. The Adriatic sturgeon should be spawning in freshwater rivers.
The biggest threat to the Adriatic sturgeon is overfishing, and especially of catching the fish too young to reproduce. Another major threat has been the barriers to entry to its reproductive routes, such as dams along the Po River. This threat is being mitigated via the building of fish passages to allow the sturgeon to swim past...
References
IUCN (2017a). Acipenser naccarii. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/224/0
IUCN (2017b). Amazilia boucardi. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22687562/0
IUCN (2017c). Amazona imperialis. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22686411/0
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