L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 12. 1998 (Budapest, 1998)
Guti, G.: Sturgeons in the Hungarian section of the Danube and draft program for their artificial propagation
MISCELLANEA ZOOLOGICA HUNGARICA Tomus 12. 1998 p. 89-91 Sturgeons in the Hungarian section of the Danube and draft program for their artificial propagation by G. Guti (Received February 26,1998) Abstract: In the Middle Ages, sturgeons were the most important subjects of Hungarian fisheries, but they became extreme rare by the end of 19 th century. One species is only common in the Hungarian section of the Danube recently. The efficiency of the passive legal protection of sturgeons is a rather doubtful tool for the conservation of their populations. The artificial reproduction and the raising of Danubian sturgeons have already been developed, however interspecific androgenesis technology could provide a new, promising perspective in the restoration programs of species near to extinction. Key words: Acipenseridae, androgenesis, conservation, restoration Changes in sturgeon populations Sturgeons have played an important role in the history of Hungarian fisheries. Most of the traditional fishing communities have been developed in the vicinity of spawning sites of anadromous sturgeons. In the Middle Ages, the great sturgeon (Huso huso) was one of the most important subjects of Hungarian fisheries. In the 18 th century, the migrating stocks of great sturgeon decreased suddenly and by the second half of the 19 th century it became an occasional catch. The great sturgeon captures had been interrupted after 1963 and after the construction of the Iron Gate barrage, it was a generally accepted view that this species would never return to the Hungarian waters. It was a great surprise, that a great sturgeon was caught from the Hungarian section of the Danube at Paks in 1987. Its length was 300 cm and its weight was 181 kg (Pintér 1991). Because of this specimen, the great sturgeon has been under protection in Hungary since 1989. The fishery importance of the Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedti) was always less than that of the great sturgeon. From the end of the 19 th century its sporadic catches were registered. The last specimens were recorded in the Hungarian section of the Danube in 1970 and 1997 (Pénzes 1970, Guti 1997). Though fishermen and anglers mention other specimens, these data can not be verified. The species has been under protection since 1989. Stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) played a minor role in the fisheries of the Hungarian section of the Danube during the historical times. The last specimen was caught at Mohács in 1965 and the species is regarded as practically extinct in Hungary (Pintér 1991). On the basis of historical records it seems impossible to evaluate the occurrence of ship sturgeon (Acipenser nudiventris), in general it has been confused with other sturgeon species. The largest specimen known in Hungary was taken from the Danube in 1932. It was 170 cm and 32 kg (Pintér 1991). In the second half of 20 th century, a few specimens were found in the rivers of Hungary: Danube (Berke 1956), Tisza (Vásárhelyi 1957) and Dráva (Pintér 1994). The species has been under protection since 1989.
