Editing Yellow River (section)

==Fauna==
===Fish===
[[File:DV Paradise fish male 03.jpg|thumb|The [[paradise fish]] is well known in the aquarium hobby and it originates from East Asian river basins, including the Yellow River]]

The Yellow River basin is rich in fish, being the home of more than 160 native species in 92 [[genera]] and 28 [[Family (biology)|families]], including 19 species found nowhere else in the world ([[endemic]]).<ref name=Xie2018>{{cite journal | author1=Xie, J.Y. | author2=W.J. Tang | author3=Y.H. Yang | year=2018 | title=Fish assemblage changes over half a century in the Yellow River, China | journal=Ecology and Evolution | volume=8 | issue=8 | pages=4173–4182 | doi=10.1002/ece3.3890 | pmid=29721289 | pmc=5916296 | bibcode=2018EcoEv...8.4173X }}</ref><ref name="Fishes_YR2015">{{cite book | author = Li, S.Z. | title = Fishes of the Yellow River and Beyond | publisher = The Sueichan Press | year = 2015 | pages = 1–414 | isbn = 9789578596771 | ol = 25879703M | author-link = Li Sizhong (ichthyologist) }} {{cite Q|Q65116992|pages =1-495}}</ref> However, due to habitat loss, pollution, [[introduced species]] and overfishing many of the natives have declined or disappeared entirely; several are recognized as [[Threatened species|threatened]] on China's Red List.<ref name=Xie2018/><ref name=Watts2007>{{cite news | author=Watts, J. | date=19 January 2007 | title=A third of fish species killed in Yellow River | url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/jan/19/fish.china | newspaper=The Guardian | access-date=2 March 2019 }}</ref> Dams and their reservoirs have increased the habitat for species of slow-moving and static waters, while it excluded species of flowing waters and prevented the up- and down-stream breeding [[Fish migration|migration]] of others.<ref name=Xie2018/><ref name=Watts2007/> In the 2000s, only 80 native fish in 63 genera and 18 families were recorded in the Yellow River basin.<ref name=Xie2018/> In contrast, introduced fish have risen in both abundance and number of species; only one introduced fish species was recorded in the 1960s when ichthyologist [[Li Sizhong (ichthyologist)|Li Sizhong]] published his original survey of fish fauna of the region, but by the 2000s there were 26.<ref name=Xie2018/>

As typical of Asian rivers, [[Cyprinidae]] is by far the most diverse family in the Yellow River basin. More than 85 cyprinids have been recorded in this basin, including species that still are present and species that no longer are present. Other highly diverse families are the [[Nemacheilidae|stone loaches]] (more than 20 species), [[Gobiidae|gobies]] ({{circa}} 15 species), [[true loach]]es ({{circa}} 10 species) and [[bagrid catfish]] ({{circa}} 10 species).<ref name=Xie2018/><!-- for species list, see "Supporting Information" in Xie2018 --> Although there are species found throughout much of the river, several have a more restricted range. For example, the uppermost, highest parts on the [[Qinghai–Tibet Plateau]] has relatively few native species, notably snowtrout and allies (''[[Gymnocypris]]'', ''[[Gymnodiptychus]]'', ''[[Platypharodon]]'' and ''[[Schizopygopsis]]''), and ''[[Triplophysa]]'' loaches.<ref name=Qi2016>{{cite book | author=Qi, D. | year=2016 | chapter=Fish of the Upper Yellow River | editor1=Brierley, G. | editor2=Li, X. | editor3=Cullum, C. | editor4=Gao, J. | title=Landscape and Ecosystem Diversity, Dynamics and Management in the Yellow River Source Zone | publisher=Springer Geography. Springer, Cham | pages=233–252 | isbn=978-3-319-30475-5 }}</ref> Of the 18 endemics in the Yellow River basin, 12 are (or were) found in the upper part.<ref name=Xie2018/> These in particular have become threatened and the fish fauna in many headwaters are now dominated by introduced [[salmonids]].<ref name=Xie2018/><ref name=Qi2016/> In contrast, the lowermost part of the river and its delta are home to many [[brackish]] water or [[euryhaline]] species, like gobies (although there are also true freshwater gobies in the Yellow River), [[Lateolabrax|Asian seabasses]], [[flatfish]] and ''[[Takifugu]]'' pufferfish.<ref name=Xie2018/><!-- for species list, see "Supporting Information" in Xie2018 -->

Fishing remains an important activity, but catches have declined. In 2007, it was noted that 40% fewer fish were caught in the Yellow River compared to earlier catches.<ref name=Watts2007/> Large cyprinids ([[Asian carp]], [[predatory carp]], [[Wuchang bream]] and [[Mongolian redfin]]) and large catfish ([[Amur catfish|Amur]] and [[Silurus lanzhouensis|Lanzhou catfish]]) are still present, but the largest species, the [[Chinese paddlefish]], [[kaluga sturgeon]] and [[Yangtze sturgeon]], have not been reported from the Yellow River basin in about 50 years.<ref name=Xie2018/><!-- for species list, see "Supporting Information" in Xie2018 --><ref name="Fishes_YR2015"/><ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.17520/biods.2020191 |title=Species diversity and conservation of freshwater fishes in the Yellow River basin|last1=Zhao |first1=Y. |journal=Biodiversity Science |display-authors=etal | date= 2020 |volume=28 |issue=12 |pages=1496–1510 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Other species that support important fisheries include [[white Amur bream]], [[Ayu sweetfish|ayu]], [[Siniperca chuatsi|mandarin fish]], ''[[Protosalanx]]'' icefish, [[northern snakehead]], [[Asian swamp eel]] and others.<ref name=Xie2018/><!-- for species list, see "Supporting Information" in Xie2018 -->

Annual fishing ban has been implemented since 2018, covering the entire Yellow River basin from 1 April to 30 June each year.<ref>[https://www.seetao.com/details/59194.html The Yangtze River has entered a ten-year fishing ban. What about the Yellow River]</ref> A total ban of fishing of natural fishes is being implemented in the upper reaches of the Yellow River starting 1 April 2022, covering [[Qinghai]], [[Sichuan]] and [[Gansu]] provinces, until the end of 2025. For the rest of the basin, the annual ban is extended to a period from 1 April to 31 July.<ref>[http://www.moa.gov.cn/govpublic/YYJ/202202/t20220222_6389264.htm 农业农村部关于调整黄河禁渔期制度的通告]</ref>

===Aquaculture===
[[File:Chinemys reevesii 02.jpg|thumb|The [[Chinese pond turtle]] (shown) and [[Chinese softshell turtle]] are both native to the Yellow River, but also [[Turtle farming|farmed]] in large numbers]]

The Yellow River is generally less suitable for [[Aquaculture in China|aquaculture]] than the rivers of central and southern China, such as the Yangtze or Pearl rivers, but aquaculture is also practiced in some areas along the Yellow River. An important aquaculture area is the riverside plain in [[Xingyang]], upstream from Zhengzhou. Since the development of fish ponds started in Xingyang's riverside [[Wangcun, Xingyang|Wangcun]] Town in 1986, the pond systems in Wangcun have grown to the total size of 15,000 ''[[mu (unit)|mu]]'' (10&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), making the town the largest aquaculture center in north China.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zgnyqss.com/news/zonghe/2011/0930/95767.html |script-title=zh:黄河畔的荥阳市万亩鱼塘 |trans-title=Ten thousand of ''mu'' of fish ponds in the riverside Xingyang |website=zgnyqss.com |language=zh-hans |date=2011-09-30 |access-date=17 March 2013 |archive-date=1 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201073225/http://www.zgnyqss.com/news/zonghe/2011/0930/95767.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Two turtle species are native to the Yellow River basin: the [[Chinese pond turtle]] and [[Chinese softshell turtle]].<ref name=Dijk2014>{{cite web | author1=van Dijk, P.P. | author2=Iverson, J.B. | author3=Rhodin, A.G.J. | author4=Shaffer, H.B. | author5=Bour, R. | year=2014 | title=Turtles of the World, 7th Edition: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution with Maps, and Conservation Status | url=http://www.iucn-tftsg.org/wp-content/uploads/file/Accounts/crm_5_000_checklist_v7_2014.pdf | publisher=IUCN/SSC [[Turtle Taxonomy Working Group]] | access-date=3 March 2019}}</ref> Both species—but especially the softshell—are widely farmed for food.<ref name=Shi2008>{{cite journal| last1=Shi | first1=Haitao | last2=Parham | first2=James F. | last3=Fan |first3=Zhiyong | last4=Hong | first4=Meiling | last5=Yin | first5=Feng | year=2008 | title=Evidence for the massive scale of turtle farming in China| journal=Oryx | volume=42 | issue=1 | pages=147–150 | doi=10.1017/S0030605308000562 | doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 | doi-access=free}}</ref> A variety of the Chinese softshell turtle popular in Chinese gourmets is called the Yellow River turtle ({{lang|zh-hans|黄河鳖}}). Nowadays most of the Yellow River turtles eaten in China's restaurants comes from [[turtle farm]]s, which may or may not be near the Yellow River.
In 2007, construction started in [[Wangcun, Xingyang|Wangcun]], [[Henan]] on a large farm for raising this turtle variety. With the capacity for raising 5 million turtles a year, the facility was expected to become Henan's largest farm of this kind.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zynews.com/town/2007-07/24/content_459017.htm |script-title=zh:荥阳开建河南省最大黄河鳖养殖基地 |trans-title=Construction started in Xingyang on the province's largest Yellow River Turtle farm |website=zynews.com |language=zh-hans |date=2007-07-24 |access-date=17 March 2013 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222032909/http://www.zynews.com/town/2007-07/24/content_459017.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The huge, entirely aquatic [[Chinese giant salamander]], a species that has declined drastically due primarily to persecution for food and traditional medicine, is native to the Yellow River and other Chinese rivers. It is farmed in large numbers in several parts of China and genetic studies have revealed that the captive stock mostly is of Yellow River origin. As these often are released back into the wild, the Yellow River type of the Chinese giant salamander has spread to other parts of China, which represents a problem to the other types.<ref name=Yan2018>{{Cite journal|last1=Yan|first1=Fang|last2=Lü|first2=Jingcai|last3=Zhang|first3=Baolin|last4=Yuan|first4=Zhiyong|last5=Zhao|first5=Haipeng|last6=Huang|first6=Song|last7=Wei|first7=Gang|last8=Mi|first8=Xue|last9=Zou|first9=Dahu|year=2018|title=The Chinese giant salamander exemplifies the hidden extinction of cryptic species|journal=Current Biology|language=en|volume=28|issue=10|pages=R590–R592|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2018.04.004|pmid=29787716|issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018CBio...28.R590Y }}</ref>