Endemic fish swarms reappear in Fuxian Lake

Swarms of endemic black carps (Spinibarbus yunnanensis) were recently seen in the Fuxian Lake, central Yunnan’s Yuxi City. Hundreds of the fish have gathered in clusters, moving as one community in the lake.

Fuxian is the deepest oligotrophic lake with the best water quality and largest water capacity among the inland lakes in China. According to records, the black carp swarm is rare these days, but for the older generations who grew up by the Lake, they claim that it was a common scene in Fuxian Lake in the early years.

92-year-old Chen Mingchao is a native of the village. He said that the black carp swarm is a unique phenomenon of the Fuxian Lake, which mostly appeared in early May every year and disappears around September. "The small fish in the group are around 10 cm in length, while the big ones can be as heavy as 10 kilograms," said Chen.

What caused this phenomenon? For one thing, the breeding season of black carps is from April to June every year. For another, the fruit of wild banyan trees would fall in to the lake in July, and the fish thus came along the lake shore for food.

In recent years, the ecological protection of Fuxian Lake has been continuously strengthened. With the water quality maintained at Class I, the indigenous fish population has been restored, making the long-lost "fish swarm" reappear in Fuxian Lake.

Reporting by Yang Wenming and Hu Zunhui (Chengjiang Digital Center); Trans-editing by Mo Yingyi