China News Agency, Wuhan, October 13 (Ma Furong Deng Xiaojun) The second-generation Yangtze finless porpoise "YYc", which was successfully bred and survived for the first time in a fully artificial environment in China, is now two years old.
At the name solicitation activity held for him on the 13th, Hao Yujiang, an associate researcher of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced the latest situation of "YYc".
"After the baby dolphin is born, it has to go through key links such as water breathing, the establishment of the mother-child relationship, and breastfeeding." Hao Yujiang said that before the age of two is a fragile and critical period for the survival of the baby dolphin.
The successful breeding and survival of "YYc" marks a new stage in the artificial breeding and breeding of Yangtze finless porpoises.
"YYc" is a male finless porpoise born on June 3, 2020.
His mother is "Yangyang" who moved from Poyang Lake in Jiangxi to the Baiji Dolphinarium of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009; his father "Tao Tao" was born in the Baiji Dolphinarium of the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005. He is the first in the world to live in a fully artificial environment. The Yangtze finless porpoise successfully bred in China.
Deng Zhengyu, the breeder of "YYc", introduced that after "YYc" was born, he successfully established a mother-son relationship with "Yangyang".
"Yangyang" has abundant milk, which provides rich nutrition for "YYc".
Measurements at the beginning of this year showed that "YYc" was 1.3 meters long and weighed 140 pounds, making it the fattest finless porpoise in the Baiji Dolphinarium.
Today, the 2-year-old 4-month-old "YYc" loves to play, play, act like a spoiled child, and cling to people, and eat 4 kilograms of small fish every day.
Hao Yujiang introduced that since 1996, the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has tried artificial breeding and breeding of the Yangtze finless porpoise, and has now established a mature breeding and breeding technology system in an artificial environment.
At present, the Baiji Dolphinarium of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has 7 Yangtze finless porpoises, 4 of which are bred in artificial environments, including two second-generation finless porpoises.
In addition to "YYc", the other is a female finless porpoise "F9C22" born in June this year.
Hao Yujiang said that through 26 years of artificial breeding research, researchers have found out the biological characteristics, reproductive physiology and laws of finless porpoises.
Next, we will continue to carry out in-depth research on sperm biology, ovulation monitoring, artificial insemination technology, etc., to more comprehensively and systematically grasp the breeding and survival mechanism of finless porpoises, and provide technical support for in-situ and ex-situ conservation.
The Yangtze finless porpoise is a rare freshwater cetacean unique to China.
The results of the 2017 scientific expedition showed that its population was about 1,012 and it was critically endangered.
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