WUHAN — About 50,000 fry of Chinese sturgeon, an endangered fish species, have been released into the Wuhan section of the Yangtze River in Central China's Hubei province.

All the fry were artificially bred by the Institute of Hydroecology, which is jointly administered by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Researchers made fluorescent marks on 2,500 fry of different specifications before the release to facilitate follow-up monitoring.

"It is important to carry out artificial reproduction and build the artificial species group to restore the natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon," said Liao Xiaolin, researcher with the institute.

From October 2021 to March this year, technicians artificially induced the birth of 110,000 Chinese sturgeon fry, said Liao.

Nicknamed "aquatic pandas," the Chinese sturgeon is a species under first-class state protection in China. However, the population of the flagship species in the Yangtze plummeted in the late 20th century due to intrusive human activities.